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Maternal mortality in Syria: causes, contributing factors and preventability
Author(s) -
Bashour Hyam,
Abdulsalam Asmaa,
Jabr Aisha,
Cheikha Salah,
Tabbaa Mohammed,
Lahham Moataz,
Dihman Reem,
Khadra Mazen,
Campbell Oona M. R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2009.02343.x
Subject(s) - medicine , maternal death , cause of death , pregnancy , verbal autopsy , pediatrics , demography , population , obstetrics , environmental health , disease , pathology , sociology , biology , genetics
Summary Objectives To describe the biomedical and other causes of maternal death in Syria and to assess their preventability. Methods A reproductive age mortality study (RAMOS) design was used to identify pregnancy related deaths. All deaths among women aged 15–49 reported to the national civil register for 2003 were investigated through home interviews. Verbal autopsies were used to ascertain the cause of death among pregnancy related maternal deaths, and causes and preventability of deaths were assessed by a panel of doctors. Results A total of 129 maternal deaths were identified and reviewed. Direct medical causes accounted for 88%, and haemorrhage was the main cause of death (65%). Sixty nine deaths (54%) occurred during labour or delivery. Poor clinical skills and lack of clinical competency were behind 54% of maternal deaths. Ninety one percent of maternal deaths were preventable. Conclusions The causes of maternal death in Syria and their contributing factors reflect serious defects in the quality of maternal care that need to be urgently rectified.