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Maternal mortality in a district hospital in West Bengal.


 To ascertain the causes of high maternal mortality in West Bengal, the author examined maternal mortality between 1964-68. It was intended that measures to improve the situation in rural areas could be suggested. Women in labor often arrive at the hospital very late and few antenatal care facilities are available in rural areas. High risk cases often are delivered at home, a situation which often results in fetal complications. Maternal deaths have declined, but not dramatically. Of the 24,265 deliveries at the Burdwan district hospital, there were 333 maternal deaths for an incidence of 13.7/1000, along with another 42 cases where death was due to pregnancy-associated causes. In contrast, the maternal mortality rate in a district hospital in Calcutta was 4/1000 in 1968. Eclampsia accounted for 42.34% (141) of maternal deaths making it the major cause of death. In Calcutta this cause of death is receding gradually but in the districts it still accounts for a heavy loss of life (an incidence of 1 in 38). Adequate antenatal care would reduce this high mortality. 2 factors which have contributed to the high mortality are the hours lost in transporting a patient from a rural area and inadequate hospital staff. Postpartum hemorrhage and/or retained placenta was responsible for 39 deaths and none of the cases admitted from outside had received antenatal care. A shortage of blood was also a contributory factor. Severe anemia was responsible for 34 deaths and abortions resulted in another 29 deaths (16 because of severe sepsis; 13 due to hemorrhage or shock). An emergency service would help reduce the number of deaths but at present such a service does not even exist in the urban areas. Ruptured uterus resulted in 29 deaths and obstructed labor in 27 deaths. Placenta previa brought about 14 deaths and the remaining 20 deaths were due to such causes as accidental hemorrhage (10), hydatidiform mole (4), puerperal sepsis (3), ectopic pregnancy (2), and uterine inversion (1). Timely admission would have helped most of these cases. In summation, the preventive measures which would help to lower maternal mortality are: 1) mass education about the need for antenatal care, 2) provision of good obstetrical service, 3) provision of quick transport, 4) adequate staffing of hospitals, 5) refresher courses for medical personnel, and 6) 24 hour blood transfusion service.
