Maternal mortality in rural Bangladesh: the Tangail District

Abstract

A study was conducted from September 1982 to August 1983 in the Tangail district of Bangladesh to estimate the maternal mortality level there and identify its causes and correlates. A rate of 56.6 per 10,000 live births was found, with abortion-related deaths contributing nearly 10 deaths per 10,000 live births. The major causes of maternal mortality were found to be obstructed labor and sepsis caused by improperly performed abortion. Those at high risk were mothers below age 20 and above age 30 and those above parity four. No inverse relationship was found between maternal mortality and socioeconomic status, as might be expected. Community-level pregnancy monitoring programs, increased attention on the part of family planning workers toward teenaged, older, and high parity mothers, and nutrition supplement programs for anemic mothers are recommended.

PIP: A study was conducted in the Tangail district of Bangladesh from Sept. 1982 to Aug. 1983 to estimate the maternal mortality level there and identify its causes and correlates. 3 questionnaires: 1 for maternal deaths, 1 for deaths other than maternal deaths, and 1 for live births were used to collect data. A rate of 56.6/10,000 live births was found, with abortion related deaths contributing nearly 10 deaths/10,000 live births. The major causes of maternal mortality were found to be obstructed labor and sepsis caused by improperly performed abortion. Those at high risk were mothers below age 20 and above age 30 and those above parity 4. No inverse relationship was found between maternal mortality and socioeconomic status. Community level pregnancy monitoring programs, increased attention on the part of family planning workers toward teenaged, older, and high parity mothers, and nutrition supplement programs for anemic mothers are recommended. This study was faced with a number of methodological limitations that have implications for future research on maternal mortallity in Bangladesh. The number of live births was underestimated, and some types of maternal deaths might not have been detected. These methodological limitations could be corrected by following a 2-step data collection procedure.