Maternal Mortality Rate Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Maternal Mortality Rate?

Maternal mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths of women due to pregnancy-related causes. It is an important indicator of a country’s health care system and reflects the access to quality health care for pregnant women. Globally, maternal mortality rates have declined substantially over the past two decades, yet it still remains a major public health concern in many countries. In 2015, there were an estimated 303,000 maternal deaths worldwide, which translates to approximately 830 women dying each day due to pregnancy-related complications. This equates to an average global maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 216 per 100,000 live births significantly lower than the 532 per 100,000 recorded in 1990. Despite this improvement in MMRs, disparities remain between developed and developing countries with MMRs as high as 930 per 100 000 in some African countries compared with only 12 per 100 000 in Finland or Norway. The most common causes of maternal death are haemorrhage (25%), infection (15%), hypertensive disorders (14%), unsafe abortion (13%) and obstructed labour (8%). These conditions are largely preventable with proper antenatal care and access to timely medical intervention during labour or after delivery when needed. In addition to this there is also evidence that investing in improving education for girls can reduce levels of mother mortality rates through reduced teenage pregnancies which have higher risks associated with them than older mothers do. It is clear that addressing these underlying issues can make major contributions towards reducing MMRs around the world so that all mothers can receive quality healthcare before and during childbirth regardless of their economic status or location. Governments need to prioritize policy decisions that lead towards better healthcare infrastructure especially in poorer regions where access remains inadequate or non-existent and improved education opportunities for young girls should be considered as having positive economic benefits as well as reducing risk factors related to motherhood such as teenage pregnancy.