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UK Wedding News

09/12/2014

Fall In UK's Maternal Death Rates

There has been a fall in maternal death rates in the UK, according to newly-published research.

A report, led by the University of Oxford's National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, added that while the situation is improving, more can still be done.

The research highlighted that maternal deaths have fallen from 11 per 100,000 women giving birth in 2006 to 2008, to 10 per 100,000 women giving birth in 2010 to 2012.

Between 2010 and 2012, 357 women died during pregnancy, or in the six weeks after it ended, and

in a majority of these cases, the report said the deaths were due to indirect causes, such as other medical conditions like heart disease or mental health problems.

Two-thirds of mothers are said to have died from these indirect causes, rather than pregnancy complications, while one in 11 deaths was as a result of flu.

The report added that more can be done to further reduce the number of women who die during, or in the six weeks afterwards. For example, researchers at Oxford University said that up to half of deaths could be avoided by improved care as well as mother's taking up the offer of a flu jab.

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Doctors should also be more aware of women's wider health issues during pregnancy.

Between 2009 and 2012, 10 out of every 100,000 women died during or shortly after pregnancy, compared to 11 out of every 100,000 women from 2006 to 2008.

While most progress had been made with deaths resulting directly from the pregnancy with reduced rates of pre-eclampsia and blood loss, the indirect deaths, such as heart disease, flu and suicide, have not changed over the past 10 years.

Professor Marian Knight, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University, explained: "There is a need, above all, for coordinated and concerted action at all levels to improve the care of women with medical complications before, during and after pregnancy. It is important to remember that deaths are very rare. They occur in 1 in 10,000 women giving birth in the UK.

"The fact that the maternal mortality rate continues to come down at a time when we are seeing greater numbers of births in the UK and more complex pregnancies shows the dedication of so many doctors, nurses, midwives and other health professionals to improving maternity care."

The report was part of the MBRRACE project – Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audit and Confidential Enquiries across the UK.

Professor Jennifer Kurinczuk, National Lead for the MBRRACE-UK programme at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, added: "There is good news in this report: deaths are decreasing but there are still things we can do based on existing evidence-based guidelines. We owe that to the families left behind. We need to be able to say to the relatives of women who died that we are learning every lesson we can."

(JP/IT)

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"There has been a fall in maternal death rates in the UK, according to newly-published research."