The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is an indicator that analyses the life conditions and care given to pregnant women, and indicates whether the constitutional rights related to life and health are being complied with. This study shows losses of lives among adolescent women associated with pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperal period, in the state of Santa Catarina between 1994 and 2005. It i...

BACKGROUND Egypt's longstanding commitment to safe motherhood and maternal health has paid off in substantial declines in maternal mortality ratio and significant improvement in the levels of many maternal health indicators. The current study aims to monitor trends of maternal health indicators and their socioeconomic inequities among Egyptian women over ten-year period (1995-2005). It poses th...

It is widely understood that maternal health care relies on the entire health system. However, little empirical, country-specific, research has been done to trace out the ways in which health system elements can shape maternal health outcomes. This study seeks to redress this situation, by providing an example of how a health systems approach can benefit the understanding of maternal health ser...

Investment in children is compelling for several reasons. First, children lie at the heart of international commitments to social justice. International forums, such as the International Conference on Population and Development, World Summit for Children, International Conference on Nutrition, Education for All Initiative, and Beijing Conference on Women, have a common theme: support for the ec...

The Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in England and Wales are unique in British medicine in that they appraise systematically the results of medical work. The original enquiry was started in 1928, but was completely revised in 1952, since when there have been 10 reports covering a period of 30 years. Each maternal death is reviewed carefully to ascertain if additional or different ac...

In Europe, different studies have identified immigrant women coming from developing countries as a risk group for maternal death. In Spain, an ecological study showed higher maternal mortality rates among foreign mothers compared with Spanish mothers during 2003-04. To examine whether the maternal death risk among foreign mothers in Spain is increased, we performed a population-based matched ca...

Reducing maternal mortality has been a global priority for more than two decades now, and Millennium Development Goal 5 targets a 75% reduction in maternal mortality ratios between 1990 and 2015. While some countries in sub-Saharan Africa have shown modest success in lowering their maternal mortality ratios, overall progress in reducing maternal mortality in the region has been Maternal Health ...

INTRODUCTION Maternal mortality is a key indicator of maternal health and the general state of health care. This report summarizes maternal deaths in Wisconsin from January 2006 through December 2010. METHODS Maternal deaths were identified using death certificates and supporting links with infant birth and fetal death certificates. Suspected pregnancy-related maternal deaths were abstracted ...

The first target of the fifth United Nations Millennium Development Goal is to reduce maternal mortality by 75% between 1990 and 2015. This target is critically off track. Despite difficulties inherent in measuring maternal mortality, interventions aimed at reducing it must be monitored and evaluated to determine the most effective strategies in different contexts. In some contexts, the direct ...

BACKGROUND Maternal near-miss (MNM) incidence is the indicator reflecting maternal healthcare services. This study aimed to determine the burden of maternal near-miss and maternal deaths in Sayaboury Province, Lao PDR. METHODS A descriptive study was done in a cohort of 1215 pregnant women, who had their last normal menstrual period (LMP) between 1 August and 31 December, 2010. WHO criteria f...