maternal death


ma·ter·nal death

death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days after the termination of gestation, irrespective of the duration and site of pregnancy and the cause of death; two periods are recognized in the 42-day interval: period one includes day 1-day 7; period two includes day 8- day 42. Maternal deaths are further classified as: direct maternal death, death resulting from obstetric complications of the gestation, labor, or puerperium, and from interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment, or a chain of events caused by any of the above; indirect maternal death, an obstetric death resulting from previously existing disease or from disease developing during pregnancy, labor, or the puerperium; it is not directly due to obstetric causes, but to conditions aggravated by the physiologic effects of pregnancy.

maternal death

As defined in the UK, death of the mother during pregnancy or within 6 weeks of delivery (late maternal death encompasses up to 1 year post delivery), which is divided into direct causes (e.g., pulmonary embolus, eclampsia) and indirect cause (e.g., cardiovascular disease, suicide, diabetes).
Risk factors for maternal death
Social disadvantage, poverty, minority ethnic group, late booking/poor attendance, obesity, domestic violence, substance abuse, suboptimal clinical care, lack of interprofessional/ interagency communication.
Direct causes of maternal death
Thromboembolism (most direct common cause), hypertensive disease of pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia), haemorrhage, amniotic fluid embolism, deaths in early pregnancy (ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous miscarriage, abortion), genital tract sepsis, genital tract trauma, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, anaesthesia-related.
Indirect causes of maternal death
Suicide (most common indirect cause), cardiac, CNS haemorrhage, epilepsy, infections, malignancy.
Coincidental maternal death
RTA/MVA.

ma·ter·nal death

(mă-tĕrnăl deth) Demise of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days after the termination of gestation, irrespective of the duration and site of pregnancy and the cause of death.