Trend and Causes of Maternal Mortality at a Tertiary University Teaching Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa: A 10-Year Review

Introduction: Maternal death is the death of a woman while she is pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, for any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes. This study is aimed at analyzing the causes of maternal mortality in a tertiary health institution in Southern Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a retrospective study among 398 participants selected using incidental non-probability sampling technique from the healthcare records of mothers on admission in the maternity ward of University of Uyo Teaching Hospital during the period January 2006 - November 2016.

Results: 30.3 per cent of maternal deaths in the period under consideration were due to obstetric haemorhage, 20.4 per cent from obstetric sepsis, and 13.5 per cent from hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, 10.2 per cent from complications of abortion and 9.3 per cent from severe anaemia. The age group 25-34 had the highest incidence of maternal mortality in this study (45.2%). Participants who had secondary level of education had the highest number of maternal deaths (64.3%). Participants who resided in rural areas also had the most incidences of maternal deaths (61.8%).

Conclusion: Direct causes were predominantly responsible for maternal deaths in this study.