BIOMAT Database Logo BIOMAT Database Logo

Homicide and other injuries as causes of maternal death in New York City, 1987 through 1991. 1995

A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Injury Prevention Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

OBJECTIVE We attempted to document the role of homicide and other injuries as causes of maternal death and to compare the risk of fatal injury among pregnant women with that in the general population. METHODS We reviewed New York City medical examiner records of 2331 women aged 15 to 44 years who died of injury in 1987 through 1991. Pregnancies were identified from autopsy information. RESULTS A total of 115 (39%) of 293 deaths in currently or recently pregnant women were attributable to injury. These 115 deaths included homicide (63%), suicide (13%), motor vehicle crashes (12%), and drug overdoses (7%). Minority women were overrepresented among the injury deaths (black 53%, Hispanic 24%, white 19%). Recent substance use was documented in 48% of the injury deaths. Pregnancy was documented on only 35% of the 115 death certificates. The risk of fatal injury is similar for currently pregnant women and for women in the general population, except for an increased risk of homicide among pregnant black women. CONCLUSIONS Homicide and other injuries are major contributors to maternal mortality and should be (but rarely are) included routinely in maternal mortality surveillance systems. Prenatal and postpartum clinic visits represent an ideal time to implement interventions to prevent injuries among pregnant women.

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
D009519 New York City City located at the mouth of the Hudson River, in New York State.
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248 Pregnancy Complications Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases. Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
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
D005260 Female Females
D006708 Homicide The killing of one person by another. Murder,Killing,Wrongful Death,Death, Wrongful,Deaths, Wrongful,Homicides,Killings,Murders,Wrongful Deaths
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000063 Accidents, Traffic Accidents on streets, roads, and highways involving drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or vehicles. Traffic accidents refer to AUTOMOBILES (passenger cars, buses, and trucks), BICYCLING, and MOTORCYCLES but not OFF-ROAD MOTOR VEHICLES; RAILROADS nor snowmobiles. Traffic Collisions,Traffic Crashes,Traffic Accidents,Accident, Traffic,Collision, Traffic,Collisions, Traffic,Crashes, Traffic,Traffic Accident,Traffic Collision
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

Related Publications

A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Homicide in New York City.
June 1986, Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
HIV seroprevalence rates among homicide victims in New York City: 1991-1993.
November 1997, Journal of forensic sciences,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Trends in the susceptibility of tuberculosis in New York City, 1987-1991. New York City Area Tuberculosis Working Group.
May 1994, Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Homicide deaths in New York City.
January 1995, Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Changing patterns of homicide in New York City.
September 1972, New York state journal of medicine,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Emergency medicine in New York City, 1987.
July 1987, Annals of emergency medicine,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Relative importance of leading causes of death in New York City.
December 1949, New York state journal of medicine,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Homicide in New York City. Cocaine use and firearms.
July 1994, JAMA,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
AIDS mortality among Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics in New York City, 1981-1987.
January 1990, Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes,
A L Dannenberg, and D M Carter, and H W Lawson, and D M Ashton, and S F Dorfman, and E H Graham
Measles outbreak--New York City, 1990-1991.
May 1991, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report,
Copied contents to your clipboard!