Obstetrics & Gynecology Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Obstetrics & Gynecology 1990;75:27-32
© 1990 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by LAGUARDIA, K. D.
Right arrow Articles by BELFORT, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by LAGUARDIA, K. D.
Right arrow Articles by BELFORT, P.

A 10-Year Review of Maternal Mortality in a Municipal Hospital in Rio de Janeiro: A Cause for Concern

KATHERINE D. LAGUARDIA, MD, MPH, M VOLF ROTHOLZ, MD and PAULO BELFORT, MD

From the Municipal Hospital Miguel Couto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation

Abstract

A 10-year review of maternal mortality was conducted at the Municipal Hospital Miguel Couto in Rio de Janeiro. Thirty two deaths occurred between January 1978 and December 1987. In the same period there were 18,071 live births, giving an overall maternal mortality ratio of 177 per 100,000 live births. Maternal mortality increased from 128 per 100,000 live births in 1978 to 462 per 100,000 in 1987. Abortionrelated deaths accounted for 47% of the total mortality, followed by toxemia (19%) and hemorrhage (13%). The contribution of abortion-related mortality to maternal mortality increased 172% over the 10-year period studied. These results indicate that maternal mortality has been increasing in a population of urban poor and that the leading cause of death is induced abortion. In a setting where access to abortion is highly restricted and desire to regulate fertility is high, death due to illegal abortion is a major contributor to maternal mortality. The rise in abortion-related mortality over the past 10 years is attributed to a lack of family planning services in conjunction with urban socioeconomic conditions conducive to smaller families.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 NEJMHome page
P. G. Stubblefield and D. A. Grimes
Septic Abortion
N. Engl. J. Med., August 4, 1994; 331(5): 310 - 314.
[Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1990 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.