Fall in maternal death rates

The maternal mortality rate was 11.39 per 100,000 maternities compared to 13.95 per 100,000 maternities for the previous triennium, 2003-05. As this enquiry is far more inclusive than in other countries, for direct comparison with international figures, the UK maternal death rate was 6.7 per 100,000 live births. In the triennium 2006-2008, 261 women in the UK died from conditions directly or indirectly related to pregnancy. 107 mothers died of conditions that could only have arisen if they had been pregnant (direct deaths), and 154 died of other underlying medical or psychiatric causes (indirect deaths). The direct death rate decreased from 6.24 per 100,000 maternities in 2003-2005 to 4.67 per 100,000 maternities in 2006-2008. The leading cause was infection. Many of these deaths were from Group A Streptococcal disease caught in the community, mirroring a rise in the general population. The report calls for mothers and healthcare workers to be aware of the need for scrupulous hygiene especially after birth, and most importantly if new mothers are in contact with people with sore throats. It also calls for national guidelines to be drawn up for the identification and management of sepsis in pregnant and recently delivered women. There has been a significant decline in deaths from pulmonary embolism and to a lesser degree, haemorrhage, following the publication and implementation of guidelines that were recommended in previous reports. The number of deaths attributed to pulmonary embolism and thromboembolism were 18 between 2006-2008 compared to 41 in 2003-2005. A reduction in the inequalities gap was also noticed. With a significant decrease in maternal mortality rates among those living in the most deprived areas and those in the lowest socioeconomic group. It is suggested that this is, in part, to do with recommendations from previous CMACE reports being followed