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Maternal mortality due to cardiac disease in Sri Lanka
Author(s) -
Haththotuwa Hasanthi R.,
Attygalle Deepika,
Jayatilleka Anoma C.,
Karunaratna Vineetha,
Thorne Sara A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2008.10.031
Subject(s) - medicine , maternal death , disease , maternal mortality rate , sri lanka , heart disease , cause of death , psychological intervention , pregnancy , mortality rate , obstetrics , emergency medicine , environmental health , population , south asia , nursing , ethnology , genetics , biology , history , health services
Objective To investigate Sri Lankan maternal deaths due to heart disease and to consider low‐cost interventions to reduce these deaths. Methods A qualitative study based on retrospective audit of all maternal deaths and late maternal deaths in Sri Lanka caused by cardiac disease in 2004. Results A total of 145 maternal deaths were recorded in 2004, for a maternal mortality rate of 38 per 100 000. There were 42 indirect deaths, 25 of which were due to cardiac disease; 23 deaths had a specific cardiac cause listed. Standard care was identified in prepregnancy counseling, contraception, and prenatal community and specialist care. Conclusion Cardiac disease is a major cause of maternal mortality in Sri Lanka, second only to postpartum hemorrhage. Rheumatic mitral valve disease is responsible for more than a third of maternal deaths from cardiac disease. Substandard care was identified in all cases; strategies to improve care could allow a reduction in maternal cardiac deaths.