Maternal deaths due to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Brazil from 2012 until 2023: a cross-sectional populational-based study.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the maternal deaths due to hypertensive disorders in Brazil from 2012 until 2023.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study including public data from Brazilian Ministry of Health, including age group, self-reported skin color, and geographical region. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) was calculated for each year and for the entire period; we estimated the prevalence ratio (PR), confidence interval (CI) and trend (R2) of MMR according to the variables included.

RESULTS

We analyzed 3,721 deaths attributed to complications of hypertension (MMR = 11.01/100,000 live births; R2 = 0.03). Those deaths were most prevalent among women aged 30 and older (PR 1.73, CI 1.61-1.85), especially those over 40 (PR 3.77, CI 3.34-4.25). Black (PR 2.75, CI 2.46-3.06), mixed-race (Pardo) (PR 1.27, CI 1.18-1.37), and Indigenous (PR 2.28, CI 1.76-2.97) women had significantly higher MMRs compared to White women. Central-West (PR 1.30, CI 1.13-1.46), North (PR 1.92, CI 1.74-2.13), and Northeast (PR 1.82, CI 1.68-1.97) regions had the highest maternal mortality rates due to hypertension. MMR due to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Brazil remained stable.

CONCLUSION

Women at higher risk of dying were older, Black, Indigenous, Pardo, and lived in the Central-West, North, and Northeast regions of the country.