Objective: To analyse and document our experiences with maternal mortality with the
view of finding the trends over the last seven years, common causes and attributing
socio-demographic factors.
Design: A prospective analysis of maternal mortality.
Setting: State Specialists Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi Northeastern Nigeria.
Main outcome measures: These include maternal mortality ratio for the period under
review and the annual trends, age and parity most affected the direct and indirect
causes of maternal mortality in our environment.
Results: The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) for the period under review was 1,732
per 100, 000 live births. Six hundred and twenty one of the deaths (81.0%) occurred
in 12,067 unbooked deliveries giving a maternal mortality ratio of 5,146 per 100,000
for unbooked mothers. This ratio is approximately eleven times that obtained in
booked live deliveries. Age range was 14-44 years and the mean age was 27.8 years.
The highest maternal death was in the adolescent mothers. The primigravidas had
the highest maternal mortality of 28.9%. The direct obstetric causes of maternal death
accounted for 79.4% of the deaths. The major causes of deaths were eclampsia 31.9%,
haemorrhage 19.2% and sepsis 10.4%. Amongst the indirect causes of maternal death,
anaemia was the leading cause accounting for 12.1%. The annual MMR was highest
for the year 2006 (2,586 per 100,000).
Conclusion: Maternal mortality is unacceptably high in our environment. The provision
of more health facilities where basic and comprehensive antenatal care are provided,
skilled attendants at birth, community mobilisation to improve antenatal attendance
and the use of TBAs as a link between the pregnant women, families and communities
providing important messages for a healthy pregnancy, and safe birth remain the
bedrock of containing maternal mortality in our environment.