Pregnancy-related deaths. Genesis of the concept and methodological aspects
Khlat, M.; Guillaume, A.
Revue d'Epidemiologie et de Sante Publique 54(6): 543-549
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0398-7620 PMID: 17194985 Document Number: 595645
Within the past 10 years, the outlook on the causes underlying maternal deaths has evolved, with the advent in the last "International classification of diseases" of the concepts of late maternal mortality and pregnancy-related mortality. Those concepts have led to an enlargement of the field, in terms of the range of causes as well as of the length of the time period at risk. Causes of death traditionally considered as "fortuitous" are now included in the count, given that the notion of pregnancy-related mortality covers all deaths occurring during pregnancy or at the latest one year after pregnancy termination, whatever the cause. Given this background, we critically review the definitions and classification systems of deaths of pregnant or post-partum women, and discuss the philosophy underlying these conceptual changes, and their consequences in terms of data collection and measurement issues.