Measuring maternal near-miss in a middle-income country: assessing the use of WHO and sub-Saharan Africa maternal near-miss criteria in Namibia

Development of a new definition of maternal near miss based on organ dysfunction in Latin America and the Caribbean: A prospective multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

There has been debate over whether the existing World Health Organization (WHO) criteria accurately represent the severity of maternal near misses.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of two WHO clinical and laboratory organ dysfunction markers for determining the best cutoff values in a Latin American setting.

METHODS

A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted in five Latin American countries. Patients with severe maternal complications were followed up from admission to discharge. Organ dysfunction was determined using clinical and laboratory data, and participants were classified according to severe maternal outcomes. This study compares the diagnostic criteria of Latin American Centre for Perinatology, Network for Adverse Maternal Outcomes (CLAP/NAMO) to WHO standards.

RESULTS

Of the 698 women studied, 15.2% had severe maternal outcomes. Most measured variables showed significant differences between individuals with and without severe outcomes (all P-values <0.05). Alternative cutoff values suggested by CLAP/NAMOs include pH ≤7.40, lactate ≥2.3 mmol/L, respiratory rate ≥ 24 bpm, oxygen saturation ≤ 96%, PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 342 mmHg, platelet count ≤189 × 109 × mm3, serum creatinine ≥0.8 mg/dL, and total bilirubin ≥0.67 mg/dL. No significant differences were found when comparing the diagnostic performance of the CLAP/NAMO criteria to that of the WHO standards.

CONCLUSION

The CLAP/NAMO values were comparable to the WHO maternal near-miss criteria, indicating that the WHO standards might not be superior in this population. These findings suggest that maternal near-miss thresholds can be adapted regionally, improving the identification and management of severe maternal complications in Latin America.

Healthcare worker burnout: exploring the experiences of doctors working in a maternity unit in Namibia

BACKGROUND

Globally, healthcare workers (HCWs) in maternity units are at high risk of developing burnout. Burnout can lead to multiple harmful impacts on HCWs, their patients, and the broader healthcare system. Little is known about the burden of burnout among sub-Saharan African HCWs. Although evidence suggests that maternity unit doctors in a hospital complex in Namibia are at risk of developing burnout, no studies have been conducted on doctors in this department yet.

METHODS

Through participant observation and a mixed-methods needs assessment, this study aimed to explore the drivers, experiences, and impact of burnout symptoms among doctors in this department, and current support mechanisms in place. Survey data was collected from 18 participants and seven in-depth interviews were conducted. Burnout risk was assessed using the Burnout Assessment Tool.

RESULTS

Seven out of 18 participants were at very high risk for burnout and three were at risk, showing a high prevalence of burnout risk. Burnout risk remained similar between levels of staff, while gender qualitatively impacted burnout-related experiences. Drivers of burnout were identified at personal, occupational, and systemic levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Over half of participants were at risk or at very high risk of burnout. Results highlighted a need for support and identified areas for intervention and further research. Such areas include blame culture, lack of trust between colleagues, and systemic drivers of burnout. This study contributes to the understanding of burnout among HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa.

Magnitude and Associated Factors of Maternal Near Miss in Public Hospitals of Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study

The purpose of this study was to determine magnitude and associated factors of maternal near miss among women seeking obstetric and gynecologic care. A hospital based cross-sectional study design was implemented in selected public hospitals of Tigrai. Systematic random sampling method was used to select study participants. Data were entered to epi data manager version 4.1 and exported to Statistical Package for social science version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with maternal near miss. The magnitude of maternal near miss was found to be 7.3%. Regression analysis showed that, mothers who reside in rural area, had distance of greater than 10 km, referred from low level health institution, and mothers had no antenatal care follow up were significantly associated with maternal near miss. Therefore, promoting antenatal care and increasing awareness in rural areas related with maternal health care services is recommended.

Road to maternal death: the pooled estimate of maternal near-miss, its primary causes and determinants in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Maternal near-miss (MNM) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) working group as a woman who nearly died but survived a life-threatening condition during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy due to getting quality of care or by chance. Despite the importance of the near-miss concept in enhancing quality of care and maternal health, evidence regarding the prevalence of MNM, its primary causes and its determinants in Africa is sparse; hence, this study aimed to address these gaps.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published up to October 31, 2023, was conducted. Electronic databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Directory of Open Access Journals), Google, and Google Scholar were used to search for relevant studies. Studies from any African country that reported the magnitude and/or determinants of MNM using WHO criteria were included. The data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel 2013 spreadsheet and analysed by STATA version 16. Pooled estimates were performed using a random-effects model with the DerSimonian Laired method. The I2 test was used to analyze the heterogeneity of the included studies.

RESULTS

Sixty-five studies with 968,555 participants were included. The weighted pooled prevalence of MNM in Africa was 73.64/1000 live births (95% CI: 69.17, 78.11). A high prevalence was found in the Eastern and Western African regions: 114.81/1000 live births (95% CI: 104.94, 123.59) and 78.34/1000 live births (95% CI: 67.23, 89.46), respectively. Severe postpartum hemorrhage and severe hypertension were the leading causes of MNM, accounting for 36.15% (95% CI: 31.32, 40.99) and 27.2% (95% CI: 23.95, 31.09), respectively. Being a rural resident, having a low monthly income, long distance to a health facility, not attending formal education, not receiving ANC, experiencing delays in health service, having a previous history of caesarean section, and having pre-existing medical conditions were found to increase the risk of MNM.

CONCLUSION

The pooled prevalence of MNM was high in Africa, especially in the eastern and western regions. There were significant variations in the prevalence of MNM across regions and study periods. Strengthening universal access to education and maternal health services, working together to tackle all three delays through community education and awareness campaigns, improving access to transportation and road infrastructure, and improving the quality of care provided at service delivery points are key to reducing MNM, ultimately improving and ensuring maternal health equity.

Comparative situational analysis of comprehensive abortion care in four Southern African countries

We report on a comparative situational analysis of comprehensive abortion care (CAC) in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia. We conducted systematic literature searches and country consultations and used a reparative health justice approach (with four dimensions) for the analysis. The following findings pertain to all four countries, except where indicated. Individual material dimension: pervasive gender-based violence (GBV); unmet need for contraception (15-17%); high HIV prevalence; poor abortion access for rape survivors; fees for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services (Eswatini). Collective material dimension: no clear national budgeting for SRH; over-reliance on donor funding (Eswatini; Lesotho); no national CAC guidelines or guidance on legal abortion access; poor data collection and management systems; shortage and inequitable distribution of staff; few facilities providing abortion care. Individual symbolic dimension: gender norms justify GBV; stigma attached to both abortion and unwed or early pregnancies. Collective symbolic dimension: policy commitments to reducing unsafe abortion and to post-abortion care, but not to increasing access to legal abortion; inadequate research; contradictions in abortion legislation (Botswana); inadequate staff training in CAC. Political will to ensure CAC within the country's legislation is required. Reparative health justice comparisons provide a powerful tool for foregrounding necessary policy and practice change.

Incidence and causes of severe maternal outcomes in Somaliland using the sub-Saharan Africa maternal near-miss criteria: A prospective cross-sectional study in a national referral hospital

OBJECTIVE

To describe the incidence and causes of severe maternal outcomes and the unmet need for life-saving obstetric interventions among women admitted for delivery in a referral hospital in Somaliland.

METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from April 15, 2019 to March 31, 2020, with women admitted during pregnancy or childbirth or within 42 days after delivery. Data were collected using the World Health Organization (WHO) and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) maternal near-miss (MNM) tools. Descriptive analysis was performed by computing frequencies, proportions, and ratios.

RESULTS

The MNM ratios were 56 (SSA criteria) and 13 (WHO criteria) per 1000 live births. The mortality index was highest among women with medical complications (63%), followed by obstetric hemorrhage (13%), pregnancy-related infection (10%), and hypertensive disorders (7.9%) according to the SSA MNM criteria. Most women giving birth received prophylactic oxytocin for postpartum hemorrhage prevention (97%), and most laparotomies (60%) for ruptured uterus were conducted after 3 h.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to improve the quality of maternal health services through implementation of evidence-based obstetric interventions and continuous in-service training for healthcare providers. Using the SSA MNM criteria could facilitate such preventive measures in this setting as well as similar low-resource contexts.

Obstructed labor and its effect on adverse maternal and fetal outcomes in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Obstructed labor is one of the five major causes of maternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. In Ethiopia, it accounts for 19.1% of maternal death. The current review aimed to assess maternal and perinatal outcomes of obstructed labor in Ethiopia.

Methods

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed for this systematic review and meta-analysis. A literature search was made using PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Summon country-specific search, and Cochrane Libraries’ online databases. Search terms were adverse outcome, obstructed labor, maternal outcome, fetal outcome, and Ethiopia. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS), based on a star scoring system, was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 16 software. The pooled prevalence of an adverse maternal outcome, fetal outcome, and association between adverse outcome and obstructed labor was calculated using a random-effects model. Egger’s test and funnel plot were used to evaluate publication bias.

Result

Eighty-seven studies were included in this review, with an overall sample size of 104259 women and 4952 newborns. The pooled incidence of maternal death was estimated to be 14.4% [14.14 (6.91–21.37). The pooled prevalence of uterine rupture and maternal near-miss was 41.18% (95% CI: 19.83, 62.54) and 30.5% [30.5 (11.40, 49.59) respectively. Other complications such as postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, obstetric fistula, hysterectomy, bladder injury, cesarean section, and labor abnormalities were also reported. The pooled prevalence of perinatal death was 26.4% (26.4 (95% CI 15.18, 37.7). In addition, the association of obstructed labor with stillbirth, perinatal asphyxia, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid was also demonstrated.

Conclusions

In Ethiopia, the incidence of perinatal and maternal mortality among pregnant women with obstructed labor was high. The rate of maternal death and maternal near miss reported in this review was higher than incidences reported from high-income and most low and middle-income countries. Uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, fistula, hysterectomy, and bladder injury were also commonly reported. To improve the health outcomes of obstructed labor, it is recommended to address the three delay models: enhancing communities’ health-seeking behavior, enhancing transportation for an obstetric emergency with different stakeholders, and strengthening the capacity of health facilities to handle obstetric emergencies.

Indicators for maternal near miss: an observational study, India

Objective

To compare the incidence of maternal near miss using the World Health Organization (WHO) near-miss tool and six other criteria sets, including criteria designed for low-resource settings or specifically for India.

Methods

In a cohort study we used WHO severity indicators to identify women with potentially life-threatening conditions during pregnancy or childbirth admitted to a referral hospital in Puducherry, India, from May 2018 to April 2021. We analysed sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data for each woman and calculated the incidence of maternal near miss and other process indicators for each set of criteria.

Findings

We analysed data on 37 590 live births; 1833 (4.9%) women were identified with potentially life-threatening conditions, 380 women had severe maternal outcomes and 57 died. Applying the different sets of criteria to the same data, we found the incidence of maternal near miss ranged from 7.6 to 15.6 per 1000 live births. Only the Global Network criteria (which exclude laboratory data that may not be available in low-resource settings) and the WHO criteria could identify all women who died. Applying the criterion of any number of units of blood transfusion increased the overall number of women identified with near miss.

Conclusion

The WHO and Global Network criteria may be used to detect maternal near miss in low-resource settings. Future studies could assess the usefulness of blood transfusion as an indicator for maternal near miss, especially in low- to middle-income countries where the indicator may not reflect severe maternal morbidity if the number of units received is not specified.

Maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by acute hepatitis E and the impact of HIV status: A cross-sectional study in Namibia

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Namibia has been suffering from an outbreak of hepatitis E genotype 2 since 2017. As nearly half of hepatitis E-related deaths were among pregnant and postpartum women, we analysed maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by acute hepatitis E and assessed whether HIV-status impacted on outcome.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed at Windhoek Hospital Complex. Pregnant and postpartum women, admitted between 13 October 2017 and 31 May 2019 with reactive IgM for Hepatitis E, were included. Outcomes were acute liver failure (ALF), maternal death, miscarriage, intra-uterine fetal death and neonatal death. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

RESULTS

Seventy women were included. ALF occurred in 28 (40.0%) of whom 13 died amounting to a case fatality rate of 18.6%. Sixteen women (22.9%) were HIV infected, compared to 16.8% among the general pregnant population (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.84-2.57, P = .17). ALF occurred in 4/5 (80%) HIV infected women not adherent to antiretroviral therapy compared to 1/8 (12.5%) women adherent to antiretroviral therapy (OR 28.0, 95% CI 1.4-580.6). There were 10 miscarriages (14.3%), five intra-uterine fetal deaths (7.1%) and four neonatal deaths (5.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

One in five pregnant women with Hepatitis E genotype 2 died, which is comparable to genotype 1 outbreaks. Despite small numbers, HIV infected women receiving antiretroviral therapy appear to be less likely to develop ALF in contrast with HIV infected women not on treatment. As there is currently no curative treatment, this phenomenon needs to be assessed in larger cohorts.

Maternal near-miss and mortality associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remote from term: A multicenter observational study in Ghana

BACKGROUND

Maternal death rates remain high in many low- and middle-income countries. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy account for 18% of maternal mortality in Ghana. The maternal near-miss approach was designed to evaluate severe (acute) complications in pregnancy, which is useful to detect potential areas for clinical care improvement.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed (1) to determine the incidence of severe maternal complications, maternal near-miss cases, and mortality cases associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remote from term and (2) to assess the health system's performance indicators for the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remote from term in middle-income country referral hospitals.

STUDY DESIGN

This study was nested in the ongoing Severe Preeclampsia adverse Outcome Triage study, a multicenter observational cohort study, and included women recruited from December 1, 2017, to May 31, 2020, from 5 referral hospitals in Ghana. Women aged >16 years, admitted to the hospital with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, with gestational age between 26 and 34 weeks were eligible. Near miss was defined according to the World Health Organization and sub-Saharan African near-miss criteria. Descriptive statistics of pregnancy and maternal and perinatal outcomes up to 6 weeks after delivery of women with severe maternal outcomes were presented for maternal deaths and maternal near-miss casigurees and compared with that of women without severe maternal outcomes. The health system's maternal and perinatal performance indicators were calculated.

RESULTS

Overall, 447 women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were included in the analyses with a mean maternal age of 32 (±5.8) years and mean gestational age at recruitment of 30.5 (±2.4) weeks. Of these patients, 46 (10%) had gestational hypertension, 338 (76%) had preeclampsia, and 63 (14%) had eclampsia. There were 148 near-miss cases (33.1%) and 12 maternal deaths (2.7%). Severe maternal outcomes constituted complications from severe preeclampsia (80/160 [50%]) and eclampsia (63/160 [39.4%]). Concerning organ dysfunction, hematologic and respiratory dysfunctions constituted 59/160 [38.6%] and 23/160 [14.8%] respectively. Nearly all women had a cesarean delivery (347/447 [84%] and 140/160 [93%] in the severe maternal outcome group) and delivered prematurely (83%, with 178/379 [93%] at <32 weeks of gestation). Stillbirth and neonatal deaths occurred in 63 of 455 women (14%) and 81 of 392 women (19%), respectively, constituting a stillbirth ratio of 161 per 1000 live births and neonatal mortality rate of 207 per 1000 live births as there were 392 live births in this cohort. Overall, the intensive care unit admission rate was 12.7% (n=52/409); moreover, 45 of 52 women (86.5%) admitted to the intensive care unit had severe maternal outcomes. The maternal death ratio was 3100 per 100,000 live births, the maternal near-miss–to–mortality ratio was 12.3, and the mortality index was 8%.

CONCLUSION

Maternal near miss and maternal and perinatal mortalities were common in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remote from term in referral hospitals in Ghana. Providing appropriate patient-centered and multidisciplinary quality care for these women is crucial in improving pregnancy outcomes. Context-tailored interventions should be considered in the clinical management of complications associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in resource-limited settings. Further research on interventions to improve timely referral and reduce in-hospital delays in care provision is recommended to facilitate emergency care services for women with hypertensive emergencies.

PREVALENCE OF MATERNAL NEAR-MISS AND MATERNAL MORTALITY, THEIR DISTRIBUTION BY GESTATION AND GRAVIDITY AND CAUSES IN WOMEN WITH LIVE BIRTHS IN DISTRICT PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Background: Maternal near-miss (MNM) and maternal mortality (MM) are indicators for quality of health care system. The objectives of our study were to determine prevalence of MNM and MM and their distribution by gestation and gravidity and their causes in women with live births population of District Peshawar, Pakistan.Material Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan from January 2017 to June 2017. From assumed population of 185,676 pregnant women in District Peshawar, 10% prevalence of MNM, 1.0448% margin of error and 95%CL, sample size was calculated 3,115. All women with live birth were eligible. Presence of MNM and MM, causes of MNM and MM, gestational age and gravidity were six variables. Being nominal, all were analysed by count and ratio or percentage with 80%CI. MNM Ratio was calculated per 1,000 live births and MM Ratio per 100,000 live births.Results: Out of 3,115 women with live births, MNM cases were 494 with MNMR 158.59/1,000 (80%CI 150.19-166.97) and MM cases were 16 with MMR 513.64/100,000 population (95%CI 349.50-677.78). There were 232 MNM cases in ≤28 weeks and 262 in 28 weeks gestational age with similar MNMR between these groups. There were 244 MNM cases in primigravida and 250 in multigravida with similar MNMR between these groups. There were five MM cases in ≤28 weeks and 11 in 28 weeks gestational age with similar MMR between these groups. There were five MM cases in primigravida and 11 in multigravida with similar MMR between these groups as their CIs are overlapping. Haemorrhage was most common cause for MNM in 365 (11.7175%) cases and for MM in 8 (0.2568%) cases.Conclusion: The maternal near-miss ratio (MNMR) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) are relatively higher in population of District, Peshawar, Pakistan. MNMR and MMR both have similar prevalence in ≤28 weeks and in 28 weeks gestational age groups and also similar in primigravida and in multigravida groups. Haemorrhage (antepartum and postpartum) was most common cause both for maternal near-miss (MNM) and maternal mortality (MM). 

Analysis of Extreme Maternal Morbidity at the Women´s Hospital of Aguascalientes

Background Extreme maternal morbidity is defined as "events that potentially threaten the life of a pregnant woman during pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium, but that due to a medical intervention the patient does not die", and this is an indicator of health quality at the hospital and demographic level. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of extreme maternal morbidity in the Women´s Hospital of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Material and methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted under the criteria of the World Health Organization and the Latin American Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies for the definition of extreme maternal morbidity to determine the prevalence of near miss morbidity, between January 1 and December 31, 2016. Results We found 165 cases of extreme maternal morbidity; no maternal death was registered during the study year. The extreme maternal morbidity rate was 0.016 and 16.69 per 1000 live births; the ratio of extreme maternal morbidity cases / obstetric admissions was 11.07. The prevalence of extreme maternal morbidity was 1.6%. The main causes of extreme maternal morbidity were hypertensive disorders (57%), obstetric hemorrhage (29%), sepsis (1%) and other (13%). Conclusion Extreme maternal morbidity in our institution had a similar prevalence to that reported in other countries and was mainly caused by hypertensive disorders.

Maternal near miss among women admitted in major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Since maternal mortality is a rare event, maternal near miss has been used as a proxy indicator for measuring maternal health. Maternal near miss (MNM) refers to a woman who nearly died but survived of complications during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. Although study of MNM in Ethiopia is becoming common, it is limited to public facilities leaving private facilities aside. The objective of this study was to assess MNM among women admitted in major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia.

METHODS

An institution based retrospective study was conducted from March 05 to 31, 2020 in two major private hospitals in Harar and Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia. The records of all women who were admitted during pregnancy, delivery or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy was reviewed for the presence of MNM criteria as per the sub-Saharan African MNM criteria. Descriptive analysis was done by computing proportion, ratio and means. Factors associated with MNM were assessed using binary logistic regression with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) along with its 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Of 1214 pregnant or postpartum women receiving care between January 09, 2019 and February 08, 2020, 111 women developed life-threatening conditions: 108 MNM and 3 maternal deaths. In the same period, 1173 live births were registered, resulting in an MNM ratio of 92.1 per 1000 live births. Anemia in the index pregnancy (aOR: 5.03; 95%CI: 3.12-8.13), having chronic hypertension (aOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.57-6.26), no antenatal care (aOR: 3.04; 95% CI: 1.58-5.83), being > 35 years old (aOR: 2.29; 95%CI: 1.22-4.29), and previous cesarean section (aOR: 4.48; 95% CI: 2.67-7.53) were significantly associated with MNM.

CONCLUSIONS

Close to a tenth of women admitted to major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia developed MNM. Women with anemia, history of cesarean section, and old age should be prioritized for preventing and managing MNM. Strengthening antenatal care and early screening of chronic conditions including hypertension is essential for preventing MNM.

Determinants of maternal near-miss in private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: A nested case–control study

Objective:

Maternal near-miss refers to a woman who nearly died but survived complications in pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The study of maternal near-miss has become essential for improving the quality of obstetric care. The objective of this study was to identify the determinants of maternal near-miss among women admitted to major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia.

Method:

An unmatched nested case–control study was conducted in major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia from 5 March to 31 March 2020. Cases were women who fulfilled the sub-Saharan African maternal near-miss criteria and those admitted to the same hospitals but discharged without any complications under the sub-Saharan African maternal near-miss tool were controls. For each case, three corresponding women were randomly selected as controls. Factors associated with maternal near-misses were analyzed using binary and multiple logistic regressions with an adjusted odds ratio along with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, p-value < 0.05 was considered as a cut-off point for the significant association.

Results:

A total of 432 women (108 cases and 324 controls) participated in the study. History of prior cesarean section (AOR = 4.33; 95% CI = 2.36–7.94), anemia in index pregnancy (AOR = 4.38; 95% CI = 2.43–7.91), being ⩾ 35 years of age (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.37–6.24), not attending antenatal care (AOR = 3.11; 95% CI = 1.43–6.78), and history of chronic medical disorders (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.03–4.59) were independently associated with maternal near-miss.

Conclusion:

Maternal age ⩾ 35 years, had no antenatal care, had prior cesarean section, being anemic in index pregnancy, and have history of chronic medical disorders were the determinants of maternal near-miss. Improving maternal near-misses requires strengthening antenatal care (including supplementation of iron and folic acid to reduce anemia) and prioritizing women with a history of chronic medical illnesses. Interventions for preventing primary cesarean sections are crucial in this era of the cesarean epidemic to minimize its effect on maternal near-miss.

Applicability of the WHO maternal near-miss tool: A nationwide surveillance study in Suriname

BACKGROUND

Maternal near-miss (MNM) is an important maternal health quality-of-care indicator. To facilitate comparison between countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the "MNM-tool". However, several low- and middle-income countries have proposed adaptations to prevent underreporting, ie, Namibian and Sub-Sahara African (SSA)-criteria. This study aims to assess MNM and associated factors in middle-income country Suriname by applying the three different MNM tools.

METHODS

A nationwide prospective population-based cohort study was conducted using the Suriname Obstetric Surveillance System (SurOSS). We included women with MNM-criteria defined by WHO-, Namibian- and SSA-tools during one year (March 2017-February 2018) and used hospital births (86% of total) as a reference group.

RESULTS

There were 9114 hospital live births in Suriname in the one-year study period. SurOSS identified 71 women with WHO-MNM (8/1000 live births, mortality-index 12%), 118 with Namibian-MNM (13/1000 live births, mortality-index 8%), and 242 with SSA-MNM (27/1000 live births, mortality-index 4%). Namibian- and SSA-tools identified all women with WHO-criteria. Blood transfusion thresholds and eclampsia explained the majority of differences in MNM prevalence. Eclampsia was not considered a WHO-MNM in 80% (n = 35/44) of cases. Nevertheless, mortality-index for MNM with hypertensive disorders was 17% and the most frequent underlying cause of maternal deaths (n = 4/10, 40%) and MNM (n = 24/71, 34%). Women of advanced age and maroon ethnicity had twice the odds of WHO-MNM (respectively adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-4.8 and aOR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.6). The stillbirths rate among women with WHO-MNM was 193/1000births, with six times higher odds than women without MNM (aOR = 6.8, 95%CI = 3.0-15.8). While the prevalence and mortality-index differ between the three MNM tools, the underlying causes of and factors associated with MNM were comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

The MNM ratio in Suriname is comparable to other countries in the region. The WHO-tool underestimates the prevalence of MNM (high mortality-index), while the adapted tools may overestimate MNM and compromise global comparability. Contextualized MNM-criteria per obstetric transition stage may improve comparability and reduce underreporting. While MNM studies facilitate international comparison, audit will remain necessary to identify shortfalls in quality-of-care and improve maternal outcomes.

Worldwide Original Research Production on Maternal Near-Miss: A 10-year Bibliometric Study

OBJECTIVE

 To evaluate the global productivity regarding original articles on maternal near-miss (MNM).

METHODS

 We conducted a bibliometric analysis of original articles published from 2008 to November 2019 in the journals indexed in the Scopus database. The averages of the number of articles by author, of the number of authors by article, of the number of citations by article, and the total number of documents with one or more authors were obtained. An analysis of the co-citation of authors and a co-occurrence analysis of the terms included in the titles and abstracts were performed and were presented as network visualization maps.

RESULTS

 A total of 326 original articles were analyzed. There was an increase in the number of articles (p < 0.001; average annual growth rate = 12.54%). A total of 1,399 authors, an average number of articles per author of 4.29, with an index of authors per document of 0.23, and an index of co-authors per document of 8.16 were identified. A total of 85 countries contributed with original articles on MNM. Among the top ten countries regarding the contribution of articles, five were low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Brazil had the highest volume of production (31.1%), followed by the US (11.5%). Terms related to countries and the measurement of the rates and cases of MNM and the associated factors were found in recent years in the analysis of the co-occurrence of terms.

CONCLUSION

 There was an increase in the production of original articles on MNM, with a significant participation of authors and institutions from LMICs, which reveals a growing interest in the use of MNM indicators to improve the quality of maternal health care.

Why magnesium sulfate 'coverage' only is not enough to reduce eclampsia: Lessons learned in a middle-income country

OBJECTIVES

Determine the eclampsia prevalence and factors associated with eclampsia and recurrent seizures in Suriname and evaluate quality-of-care indicator 'magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) coverage'.

STUDY DESIGN

A two-year prospective nationwide cohort study was conducted in Suriname and included women with eclampsia at home or in a healthcare facility.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We calculated the prevalence by the number of live births obtained from vital registration. Risk factor denominator data concerned hospital births. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Seventy-two women with eclampsia (37/10.000 live births) were identified, including two maternal deaths (case-fatality 2.8%). Nulliparity, African-descent and adolescence were associated with eclampsia. Adolescents with eclampsia had significantly lower BPs (150/100 mmHg) than adult women (168/105 mmHg). The first seizure occurred antepartum in 54% (n = 39/72), intrapartum in 19% (n = 14/72) and postpartum in 26% (n = 19/72). Recurrent seizures were observed in 60% (n = 43/72). MgSO4 was administered to 99% (n = 69/70) of women; however 26% received no loading dosage and, in 22% of cases MgSO4 duration was <24 h, i.e. guideline adherence existed in only 43%. MgSO4 was ceased during CS in all women (n = 40). Stable BP was achieved before CS in 46%. The median seizure-to-delivery interval was 27 h, and ranged from four to 36 h.

CONCLUSION

Solely 'MgSO4 coverage' is not a reliable quality-of-care indicator, as it conceals inadequate MgSO4 dosage and timing, discontinuation during CS, stabilization before delivery, and seizure-to-delivery interval. These other quality-of-care indicators need attention from the international community in order to reduce the prevalence of eclampsia.

Maternal near-miss surveillance, Namibia

Objective

To analyse and improve the Namibian maternity care system by implementing maternal near-miss surveillance during 1 October 2018 and 31 March 2019, and identifying the challenges and benefits of such data collection.

Methods

From the results of an initial feasibility study, we adapted the World Health Organization’s criteria defining a maternal near miss to the Namibian health-care system. We visited most (27 out of 35) participating facilities before implementation and provided training on maternal near-miss identification and data collection. We visited all facilities at the end of the surveillance period to verify recorded data and to give staff the opportunity to provide feedback.

Findings

During the 6-month period, we recorded 37 106 live births, 298 maternal near misses (8.0 per 1000 live births) and 23 maternal deaths (62.0 per 100 000 live births). We observed that obstetric haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders were the most common causes of maternal near misses (each 92/298; 30.9%). Of the 49 maternal near misses due to pregnancies with abortive outcomes, ectopic pregnancy was the most common cause (36/298; 12.1%). Fetal or neonatal outcomes were poor; only 50.3% (157/312) of the infants born to maternal near-miss mothers went home with their mother.

Conclusion

Maternal near-miss surveillance is a useful intervention to identify within-country challenges, such as lack of access to caesarean section or hysterectomy. Knowledge of these challenges can be used by policy-makers and programme managers in the development of locally tailored targeted interventions to improve maternal outcome in their setting.