MATERNAL MORTALITY IN A MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN TURKEY

Background. To determine the leading causes of maternal mortality in a large maternity hospital and to define priorities regarding this subj ect throughout Turkey Methods. Retrospective, institutional study amon g 100,531 live births between 1983 and 1992. Results. Seventeen matern al deaths took place in this institution. Thus, the overall maternal m ortality ratio was 16.9 per 100,000. The leading causes of maternal mo rtality were hemorrhage in seven (41.2%) and pulmonary embolism in six (35.3%) patients. The majority of deaths were observed in the 25-29 a nd 30-34 age groups and in patients with parity more than two. Conclus ion. The relatively low figure of 16.9/100,000 for maternal mortality may be seen as a promising health index. However, obstetric hemorrhage is still the leading cause of this series. Pregnant women less than 2 0 years old and greater than 35 years old, and grand multiparous women as well as women with hypertension and heart disease are at high mort ality risk. The observation of such cases demands further efforts for improved obstetric care in the hospital and throughout Turkey.