Maternal mortality surveillance--Puerto Rico, 1989. 1991


Maternal mortality is substantially underreported in the United States and throughout the world. In Puerto Rico, the 1989 revised death certificate contained a new item that asked whether a decedent had been pregnant within the past year. This information enabled a panel of experts to identify and review all death certificates for females aged 10-49 years who had been pregnant within 1 year before death. This report describes how the new item on the birth certificate can be used to improve maternal mortality surveillance in Puerto Rico.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008428 Maternal Mortality Maternal deaths resulting from complications of pregnancy and childbirth in a given population. Mortality, Maternal,Maternal Mortalities,Mortalities, Maternal
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011647 Puerto Rico An island in the Greater Antilles in the West Indies. Its capital is San Juan. It is a self-governing commonwealth in union with the United States. It was discovered by Columbus in 1493 but no colonization was attempted until 1508. It belonged to Spain until ceded to the United States in 1898. It became a commonwealth with autonomy in internal affairs in 1952. Columbus named the island San Juan for St. John's Day, the Monday he arrived, and the bay Puerto Rico, rich harbor. The island became Puerto Rico officially in 1932. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p987 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p436)
D002423 Cause of Death Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults

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August 1990, Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico,
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October 2003, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report,
July 1991, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report,
January 2000, Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico,
January 1990, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report,
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