Prevention of maternal death in a Nigerian village.

In a Nigerian village, the expected maternal mortality would be between 6 and 12 per 1000 live births, the most common causes of maternal death being obstructed labor, hemorrhage and eclampsia. Yet, over an 8 1/2-year period, when 2324 births occurred, the rate was 1.72 per 1000, of which 0.43 were due to obstetric complications. The four deaths were associated, respectively, with typhoid fever, tuberculosis and typhoid fever, infectious hepatitis and postpartum hemorrhage with dysentery. Using the experience gained in the village, recommendations are made for reducing maternal mortality in rural areas.