Biomaterial Database

The postpartum period: the key to maternal mortality. 1996

X F Li, and J A Fortney, and M Kotelchuck, and L H Glover

School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.

OBJECTIVE To assess postpartum care at an international level, we reviewed published literature on postpartum maternal deaths. METHODS Meta-analysis was used to summarize the literature reviewed. Postpartum deaths in developing countries were compared with those in the United States. RESULTS In both developing countries and the United States, > 60% of maternal deaths occurred in the postpartum period; 45% of postpartum deaths occurred within 1 day of delivery, > 65% within 1 week, > 80% within 2 weeks. In developing countries, 80% of postpartum deaths caused by obstetric factors occurred within 1 week. CONCLUSIONS The first 24 h postpartum and the first postpartum week is the high risk of postpartum deaths, and the risk remains significant until the second week after delivery. In developing countries, hemorrhage, pregnancy-induced hypertension complications, and obstetric infection are commonest causes of postpartum deaths. We suggest primary prevention, early detection, and secondary prevention of postpartum deaths.

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
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
D011322	Primary Prevention	Specific practices for the prevention of disease or mental disorders in susceptible individuals or populations. These include HEALTH PROMOTION, including mental health; protective procedures, such as COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL; and monitoring and regulation of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS. Primary prevention is to be distinguished from SECONDARY PREVENTION and TERTIARY PREVENTION.	Prevention, Primary,Disease Prevention, Primary,Prevention, Primordial,Primordial Prevention,Disease Preventions, Primary,Preventions, Primordial,Primary Disease Prevention,Primary Disease Preventions,Primordial Preventions
D003906	Developing Countries	Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures.	LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D015201	Meta-Analysis as Topic	A quantitative method of combining the results of independent studies (usually drawn from the published literature) and synthesizing summaries and conclusions which may be used to evaluate therapeutic effectiveness, plan new studies, etc., with application chiefly in the areas of research and medicine.	Clinical Trial Overviews,Data Pooling,Overviews, Clinical Trial,Clinical Trial Overview,Data Poolings,Meta Analysis as Topic,Overview, Clinical Trial
D049590	Postpartum Period	In females, the period that is shortly after giving birth (PARTURITION).	Puerperium,Postpartum,Postpartum Women,Period, Postpartum,Women, Postpartum