Effect of high parity on maternal mortality

ABSTRACT

Out of 6794 patients delivered at Al-Galaa Maternity Hospital, Cairo, 43 women died of causes related to their pregnancies and/or deliveries. The cause of this high mortality rate [6.33/1000 cases or 6.70/1000 live births] as compared to the national rate in Egypt [1/1000 live births] is multifactorial. Maternal mortality, as related to the patients increasing parity, follows an approximately linear increasing pattern. Maternal mortality, also increases with increasing age. Grand multiparity of an age of 30 years or more is the most serious factor elevating the maternal mortality rate. More than 95% of deaths occurred in patients who did not receive any antenatal care and more than 53% of deaths happened within the first 24 hours following admission to hospital. The leading causes of maternal deaths were haemorrhage, infection and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Prevention of these causes, among others, was discussed