Frequency of Maternal Mortality in Urban and Rural Areas of Iranshahr County (Southeast of Iran) in 2009-2013: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Maternal mortality is one of the threatening factors of human life and the overall status index of women's health in any society. Death of a mother causes irreversible damage to a family and a society. This study aims at examining the causes of maternal mortality in urban and rural areas. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequney and causes of maternal mortality in urban and rural areas in southeast of Iran in 2009-2013. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study and its research population includes the entire pregnant woman who died in Iranshahr County between April 2009 and March 2013. An eight-section questionnaire was used for collecting data. The first section was based on the hospital records of pregnant woman including mother's demographic data and the following sections were completed based on their health records. Results: The frequency of maternal mortality during birth in the study period was 34 (of 4857). The study individuals were between 13 and 40-year-old with the mean age of 30±6.4. Maximum maternal mortality occurred in 2012. Haemorrhage was the most common cause of maternal death (38.2%). Conclusion: As haemorrhage was the most common cause of death of pregnant women in this study, it seems necessary to improve care for woman and reduce haemorrhage and its complications during pregnancy period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]