Maternal near miss in low-resource areas
Robert L Goldenberg, Sarah Saleem, Sumera Ali, Janet L Moore, Adrien Lokangako, Antoinette Tshefu, Musaku Mwenechanya, Elwyn Chomba, Ana Garces, Lester Figueroa, Shivaprasad Goudar, Bhalachandra Kodkany, Archana Patel, Fabian Esamai, Paul Nsyonge, Margo S Harrison, Melissa Bauserman, Carl L Bose, Nancy F Krebs, K Michael Hambidge, Richard J Derman, Patricia L Hibberd, Edward A Liechty, Dennis D Wallace, Jose M Belizan, Menachem Miodovnik, Marion Koso-Thomas, Waldemar A Carlo, Alan H Jobe, Elizabeth M McClure, Robert L Goldenberg, Sarah Saleem, Sumera Ali, Janet L Moore, Adrien Lokangako, Antoinette Tshefu, Musaku Mwenechanya, Elwyn Chomba, Ana Garces, Lester Figueroa, Shivaprasad Goudar, Bhalachandra Kodkany, Archana Patel, Fabian Esamai, Paul Nsyonge, Margo S Harrison, Melissa Bauserman, Carl L Bose, Nancy F Krebs, K Michael Hambidge, Richard J Derman, Patricia L Hibberd, Edward A Liechty, Dennis D Wallace, Jose M Belizan, Menachem Miodovnik, Marion Koso-Thomas, Waldemar A Carlo, Alan H Jobe, Elizabeth M McClure
Abstract
Objective: To describe the Global Network Near-Miss Maternal Mortality System and its application in seven sites.
Methods: In a population-based study, pregnant women eligible for enrollment in the Maternal and Newborn Health Registry at seven sites (Democratic Republic of the Congo; Guatemala; Belagavi and Nagpur, India; Kenya; Pakistan; and Zambia) between January 2014 and April 2016 were screened to identify those likely to have a near-miss event. The WHO maternal near-miss criteria were modified for low-resource settings. The ratio of near-miss events to maternal deaths was calculated.
Results: Among 122 707 women screened, 18 307 (15.0%) had a potential near-miss event, of whom 4866 (26.6%; 4.0% of all women) had a near-miss maternal event. The overall maternal mortality ratio was 155 per 100 000 live births. The ratio of near-miss events to maternal deaths was 26 to 1. The most common factors involved in near-miss cases were the hematologic/coagulation system, infection, and cardiovascular system.
Conclusion: By using the Global Network Near-Miss Maternal Mortality System, large numbers of women were screened for near-miss events, including those delivering at home or a low-level maternity clinic. The 4.0% incidence of near-miss maternal mortality is similar to previously reported data. The ratio of 26 near-miss cases to 1 maternal death suggests that near miss might evaluate the impact of interventions more efficiently than maternal mortality.
Keywords: Low- and middle-income countries; Maternal mortality; Maternal near miss.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflicts of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest.
© 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
Figures
Source: PubMed