How safe is motherhood in Nigeria?: the trend of maternal mortality in a tertiary health institution.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the magnitude and trend of maternal mortality in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.

SUBJECT: All women dying in pregnancy, labour and puerperium.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal mortality ratio, trend of maternal mortality, age, antenatal booking status, educational status, main causes of maternal death, factors contributing to maternal deaths.

RESULTS

The maternal mortality ratio was 739/100,000 total deliveries and trend rose from 450/100,000 in 1990 to 1,060/100,000 total deliveries in 1994. About 33% of all maternal deaths occurred among teenagers. The risk factors for maternal deaths included adolescence, grand multiparity, illiteracy and non-utilisation of antenatal services. The main causes of maternal mortality were haemorrhage (28.1%), sepsis (21.3%) and eclampsia (15.7%). The contributions of complicated induced abortion and anaesthetic deaths in this study are worthy of mention.

CONCLUSION

The maternal mortality ratio is unacceptably high in Jos University Teaching Hospital more particularly because of the rising trend. Socio-cultural and economic factors contributed immensely to the high maternal mortality in Jos. The objective of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to reduce maternal mortality by 50% by the year 2000 will not be achieved in this part of Nigeria. Nonetheless, improvement of the nation's economy coupled with a stable policy and provision of intrastructural facilities will assist to significantly reduce maternal mortality.