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Maternal mortality in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Author(s) -
CHATTOPADHYAY SISIR K.,
SENGUPTA BUOY SREE,
CHATTOPADHYAY CHHAYA,
ZAIDI ZARINA,
SHOWAIL HUSSEIN
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1983.tb09320.x
Subject(s) - medicine , developing country , mortality rate , pulmonary embolism , maternal death , blood transfusion , pregnancy , health care , rural area , pediatrics , obstetrics , emergency medicine , population , environmental health , surgery , pathology , biology , economics , genetics , economic growth
Summary. The maternal mortality in the Maternity and Children Hospital, Riyadh, during the years 1978–1980 was 52 per 100 000 births, when the total births were 55 428. This is higher than the rate reported from the hospitals in developed countries but lower than rates reported by the university hospitals of developing countries such as India, Thailand and Nigeria. Haemorrhage, associated disease, pulmonary embolism and infection, in that order, were the main causes of maternal deaths. The main avoidable factor was failure by the patient to seek the medical care. Much could be done in reducing deaths due to haemorrhage by improving blood transfusion facilities in the peripheral hospitals. Adequate health education, especially of rural women and their midwives, is a crucial factor in improving the maternal death rate for the country as a whole.