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. 2017 Sep 7;17:295. doi: 10.1186/s12884-017-1479-1

Table 2.

Numeric and percent distribution of direct obstetric complications and all maternal deaths by cause and region (33 countries)

All regions Latin America & the Caribbeana Sub-Saharan Africab Asiac
Complications Deaths CFR Complications Deaths CFR Complications Deaths Complications Deaths CFR
n % n % n % n % n % n % CFR n % n %
Direct complications/causes
 Hemorrhage 183,232 26% 2902 33% 1.6% 5202 11% 50 23% 1.0% 149,093 28% 2588 33% 1.7% 28,937 26% 264 42% 0.9%
 Hypertensive disease 71,658 10% 1689 19% 2.4% 9441 19% 90 41% 1.0% 47,993 9% 1470 19% 3.1% 14,224 13% 129 21% 0.9%
 Abortion 65,594 9% 653 8% 1.0% 3837 8% 20 9% 0.5% 42,548 8% 598 8% 1.4% 19,209 17% 35 6% 0.2%
 Postpartum sepsis 16,363 2% 815 9% 5.0% 969 2% 11 5% 1.1% 13,994 3% 793 10% 5.7% 1400 1% 11 2% 0.8%
 Obstr/prolong labor 154,648 22% 773 9% 0.5% 6037 12% 7 3% 0.1% 128,099 24% 722 9% 0.6% 20,512 18% 44 7% 0.2%
 Ectopic pregnancy 13,732 2% 211 2% 1.5% 727 1% 6 3% 0.8% 10,756 2% 200 3% 1.9% 2249 2% 5 1% 0.2%
 Ruptured uterus 8727 1% 719 8% 8.2% 122 0.2% 3 1% 2.5% 7786 1% 695 9% 8.9% 819 1% 21 3% 2.6%
 Other 185,241 26% 929 11% 0.5% 22,639 46% 30 14% 0.1% 136,907 25% 786 10% 0.6% 25,695 23% 113 18% 0.4%
 Total 699,195 100% 8691 100% 1.2% 48,974 100% 217 100% 0.4% 537,176 100% 7852 100% 1.5% 113,045 100% 622 100% 0.6%
 Direct causes 8691 63% 217 82% 7852 61% 622 89%
 Indirect causes 4660 34% 33 13% 4556 35% 71 10%
 Unspecified causes 539 4% 12 5% 518 4% 9 1%
 TOTAL 13,890 100% 262 100% 12,926 100% 702 100%

Note: CFR Case fatality rate; “other” direct complications included premature rupture of membranes, malpresentation, preterm labor, post-term labor, previous cesarean delivery, cord prolapse, multiple gestations and others. “Other” direct deaths include embolism, anesthesia complications, and others

aIncludes Ecuador, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua and Panama

bIncludes Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, São Tomé & Príncipe, Lesotho and Namibia

cIncludes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Mongolia