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Table 3 Antenatal and delivery characteristics by maternal status at 6 weeks

From: Risk factors for maternal death and trends in maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries: a prospective longitudinal cohort analysis

Characteristic

n(%)*

RR of maternal death versus alive at six weeks (95% CI) ‡

 

Women who died

n=402

Women alive six weeks after delivery

n=277,334

Total

n=277,736

 

No antenatal care

29 (7.4)

10,640 (3.8)

10,669 (3.9)

1.7 (1.2, 2.5)

Fewer than 4 antenatal care visits

94 (59.1)

72,527 (48.4)

72,621 (48.4)

1.5 (1.1, 2.2)

Birth attendant

    

Physician

148 (46.8)

106,671 (38.5)

106,819 (38.5)

1.0

Nurse/midwife/health worker

69 (21.8)

88,243 (31.8)

88,312 (31.8)

0.5 (0.4, 0.7)

Traditional birth attendant

66 (20.9)

63,817 (23.0)

63,883 (23.0)

0.6 (0.4, 0.8)

Family/other

33 (10.4)

18,558 (6.7)

18,591 (6.7)

1.1 (0.8, 1.7)

Delivery location

    

Hospital

169 (53.3)

126,426 (45.6)

126,595 (45.6)

1.0

Clinic

52 (16.4)

68,629 (24.8)

68,681 (24.7)

0.5 (0.4, 0.7)

Home/other

96 (30.3)

82,197 (29.6)

82,293 (29.6)

0.7 (0.6, 1.0)

Delivery mode

    

Vaginal

222 (71.4)

230,853 (86.1)

231,075 (86.1)

1.0

Vaginal assisted

15 (4.8)

4,145 (1.5)

4,160 (1.6)

3.4 (1.8, 6.6)

Caesarean section

74 (23.8)

32,973 (12.3)

33,047 (12.3)

2.4 (1.8, 3.2)

Obstructed labor

79 (20.4)

29,735 (10.7)

29,814 (10.8)

2.0 (1.6, 2.6)

Fetal Malposition

27 (7.1)

5,879 (2.1)

5,906 (2.1)

3.4 (2.3, 5.0)

Antepartum hemorrhage

46 (11.9)

6,089 (2.2)

6,135 (2.2)

5.7 (3.7, 8.8)

Hypertensive disorders

78 (20.5)

8,039 (2.9)

8,117 (2.9)

8.4 (6.3, 11.2)

Maternal treatment provided

    

Antibiotics

173 (52.9)

103,941 (37.7)

104,114 (37.8)

2.1 (1.7, 2.7)

Corticosteroids

12 (9.4)

6,060 (5.3)

6,072 (5.3)

1.8 (0.9, 3.5)

Oxytocics (including misoprostol)

140 (43.3)

108,524 (39.5)

108,664 (39.5)

1.2 (1.0, 1.6)

Blood transfusion

92 (28.3)

3,889 (1.4)

3,981 (1.4)

26.6 (19.7, 36.0)

Removal of retained products

42 (12.9)

15,799 (5.7)

15,841 (5.7)

2.7 (1.7, 4.3)

Anticonvulsants

31 (9.7)

3,288 (1.2)

3,319 (1.2)

8.9 (5.6, 14.0)

IV Fluids

188 (57.5)

93,590 (33.9)

93,778 (34.0)

2.9 (2.2, 3.7)

Forceps/vacuum

13 (4.0)

1,913 (0.7)

1,926 (0.7)

5.6 (3.1, 10.0)

Other surgery/treatment

24 (7.4)

10,891 (4.0)

10,915 (4.0)

2.1 (1.3, 3.3)

  1. * The denominator used to determine the percentage of women with each characteristic varies due to missing data.
  2. ‡ Generalized linear models were used to evaluate the relationship of potential factors and maternal mortality and to develop point and interval estimates of relative risk associated with these factors. Generalized estimating equations were used to account for the correlation of outcomes within cluster to develop appropriate confidence intervals. Unless otherwise noted, the reference group is women who did not have the listed characteristic.