City Family Welfare Bureau report: Pregnancy-induced hypertension top cause for maternal mortality
Other causes of maternal deaths include haemorrhage, sepsis, heart disease and anaemia. Sabne said of the 164 maternal deaths registered with hospitals in the city, a total of 50 women were residents of Pune.The others were from the surrounding areas.
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If the blood pressure of a pregnant woman remains uncontrolled during the course of pregnancy, it can lead to placental abruption and sudden bleeding, said Indian Medical Association secretary and gynaecologist Dr Meenakshi Deshpande. (Representational Image)
Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) was the main cause behind most of the 164 maternal deaths recorded in the city in the last three years, reveals a report by the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Family Welfare Bureau. Other causes of maternal deaths include haemorrhage, sepsis, heart disease and anaemia.
In 2017-18, 62 maternal deaths were registered with the bureau. Thirteen of these women had gestational pregnancy, a condition characterised by high blood pressure during pregnancy that can lead to eclampsia (seizures that can result in a coma and death). Eight women died due to sepsis while four suffered from haemorrhage. Of the 49 maternal deaths in 2016-17, 11 women suffered from gestational pregnancy that led to eclampsia, while of the 53 maternal deaths in 2015-16, 12 women succumbed to the same condition.
Dr Anjali Sabne, the deputy medical officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation, said approximately 50,000 deliveries take place in the city every year, of which 8,000 deliveries happen at the 18 PMC-run hospitals.
“We also collect data from across private hospitals. The audit committee then reviews the medical causes of maternal deaths. In the last three years, pregnancy-induced hypertension has been the leading medical cause of maternal deaths. Auxillary nursing midwives have been instructed to closely monitor pregnant women and send reminders for an ante-natal check-up,” she said.
“For the year 2017-18, we have reviewed 42 maternal deaths. The remaining 20 deaths will be reviewed at a meeting to be held on May 20,” said Sabne.
If the blood pressure of a pregnant woman remains uncontrolled during the course of pregnancy, it can lead to placental abruption and sudden bleeding, said Indian Medical Association secretary and gynaecologist Dr Meenakshi Deshpande. There has been a rise in the number of women with pregnancy-induced hypertension due to late marriages, she said.
“At least 10-15 per cent of normal pregnancies are affected by PIH and at the IMA, regular medical education programmes on these issues are being held,” said Deshpande.
Other causes of maternal deaths include haemorrhage, sepsis, heart disease and anaemia. Sabne said of the 164 maternal deaths registered with hospitals in the city, a total of 50 women were residents of Pune.The others were from the surrounding areas.
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