Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at OPM.gov.

What are examples and causes of maternal morbidity and mortality?

Maternal morbidity includes a range of different health conditions. Some of them start during pregnancy and last only a short time, while others do not develop until years after a pregnancy and continue throughout the woman’s life.

Maternal mortality usually results from a pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum complication; a chain of medical events started by the pregnancy or delivery; the worsening of an unrelated condition because of the pregnancy or delivery; or other factors.1

Maternal Morbidity

Maternal health problems related to pregnancy and giving birth can occur during pregnancy, during delivery, and after a pregnancy ends. Some common examples of maternal morbidity include the following2:

  • Cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and blood vessel problems
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Infections, especially from cesarean section
  • Blood clots
  • Bleeding (sometimes called hemorrhage)
  • Anemia (low iron in the blood)
  • Nausea and vomiting (sometimes called morning sickness) and hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness)
  • Depression and anxiety

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses International Classification of Disease codes and whether a woman is hospitalized to group examples of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Some SMM examples include heart attack, heart failure, eclampsia, sepsis/blood infection, and hysterectomy.3 If a woman needs breathing assistance, such as a ventilator, or needs a blood transfusion, it is also considered SMM.

Maternal Mortality

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the following cause the majority of maternal deaths around the world4:

  • Severe bleeding (sometimes called hemorrhage)
  • Infections
  • Blood pressure disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia and eclampsia
  • Complications of labor and delivery
  • Unsafe abortion

Infections and chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, are also causes of or associated with maternal deaths worldwide.

In the United States, CDC tracks pregnancy-related deaths, including deaths that WHO calls “maternal mortality.” The leading causes of pregnancy-related death in the United States, according to CDC, are slightly different than maternal mortality causes around the world.

In the United States, the main causes of pregnancy-related deaths include the following5:

  • Severe bleeding (sometimes called hemorrhage)
  • Infections and sepsis
  • Cardiovascular conditions, such as:
    • Blockages (sometimes called embolisms) in arteries and veins
    • Stroke (also called cerebrovascular accidents)
    • Blood pressure disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia and eclampsia
    • Heart muscle problems (called cardiomyopathy)
    • Heart disease
  • Problems with anesthesia
  • Amniotic fluid embolism
  • Non-cardiovascular conditions, such as diabetes and breathing problems

For more information on national trends and causes of pregnancy-related death, visit CDC: Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System.

CDC also reports on pregnancy-associated deaths, from causes unrelated to pregnancy. Common causes of pregnancy-associated deaths include trauma (including motor vehicle accidents), homicide, suicide, and drug overdoses.6,7,8

NICHD provides information on many topics relevant to maternal morbidity and mortality, including the following:

Find more resources about maternal morbidity and mortality.

Citations

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). Pregnancy-related deaths. Retrieved January 15, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality.
  2. CDC. (2018). Pregnancy complications. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/pregnancy-complications.
  3. CDC. (2019). How does CDC identify severe maternal morbidity? Retrieved March 3, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/php/severe-maternal-morbidity/icd.html.
  4. World Health Organization. (2019). Maternal mortality. Retrieved January 15, 2020, from https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality external link.
  5. CDC. (2019). Pregnancy mortality surveillance system. Retrieved January 15, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/php/pregnancy-mortality-surveillance.
  6. Mangla, K., Hoffman, M. C., Trumpff, C., O’Grady, S., & Monk, C. (2019). Maternal self-harm deaths: An unrecognized and preventable outcome. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 221(4), 295–303. Retrieved April 29, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2019.02.056 external link.
  7. Sakamoto, J., Michels, C., Eisfelder, B., & Joshi, N. (2019). Trauma in pregnancy. Emergency Medical Clinics of North America, 37(2), 317–338. Retrieved April 29, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2019.01.009 external link.
  8. Metz, T. D., Rovner, P., Hoffman, M. C., Allshouse, A. A., Beckwith, K. M., & Binswanger, I. A. (2016). Maternal deaths from suicide and overdose in Colorado, 2004–2012. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 128(6), 1233–1240. Retrieved April 29, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000001695 external link.
top of page BACK TO TOP