A case control study of maternal near-miss events in a tertiary health centre in Bihar

Abstract

Background: Globally, approximately 830 women died every single day due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2015. The study on maternal deaths can reveal the quality of health care delivery system. Maternal near miss (MNM) cases are women who survived the critical events during pregnancy and childbirth. MNM can act as an adjunct to maternal death inquiries because these cases occur more frequently than deaths and they can provide clue to problems that had to be overcome for the provision of better maternal health care. The study aims at evaluating the determinants of such MNM events among postnatal women admitted in ANM medical college, Gaya. Methods: A case-control study was done in postnatalwomen. A structured pre-tested questionnaire was given to 82 participants (27 cases and 55 controls). Data was collected regarding bio-data, sociodemographic characteristics, medical illnesses, previous and current pregnancies with their outcomes and complications. Results: Most women were admitted to ICU. Rest were having hypertensive complications and severe anaemia. The study showed height, type of family, presence of danger signs during pregnancy as significant determinants of maternal near miss events. Conclusion: The study of maternal near-miss provides an insight into the causes of maternal mortality in this region. The maternal morbidity and mortality can be reduced by providing proper antenatal care at primary health centre and community health centre and better intensive care in referral tertiary care centres.

Keywords: Maternal near-miss events, case-control study, maternal deaths, ICU.