TITLE:
Maternal Mortality at the Teaching Hospital of Mother and Child Lagoon (CHU-MEL) in Benin: A Preventable Drama?
AUTHORS:
M. Aboubakar, J. Akodjenou, C. Echoudina, E. Ahounou, C. O. A. Biaou, E. Zoumenou
KEYWORDS:
Maternal Mortality, Avoidability, CHU-MEL, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
29,
2021
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The maternal mortality ratio in developing countries is 239/ 100,000
live births (LV) in 2015, compared to 12/100,000 live births (LV) in developed
countries. This study aims to analyze the avoidability of maternal deaths at
the CHU-MEL from 2015 to 2019. Patients and Method: This was a descriptive analytical study with retrospective data
collection from January 1st 2015 to August 31st 2019, i.e. 56 months. The data were collected from medical records, maternal death registers, anaesthesia
registers. They were entered and analyzed using Epi info version 7 software.
The associations between avoidability of death and aetiologies were tested
using Chi2 or Fisher’s test as appropriate. The threshold for
statistical significance was 5%. Results: The maternal mortality ratio over 5 years was 905
maternal deaths per 100,000 LV. The age of the deceased women ranged
from 15 to 44 years, with an average of 29.09 ± 7.04 years. They were
illiterate or primary educated (47.02%), married (64.50%) primigravida or
paucigravidae (47.02%) and primiparous or pauciparous (59.52%). Of the 151
maternal deaths, (90.73%) were deemed preventable. Delay was the main reason
for maternal death, and 82.11% had at least
one type of delay. There was no significant difference between the avoidability of death and the main aetiologies of haemorrhage (p = 0.865),
infections (p = 0.208) and hypertensive complications (p = 0.438). Conclusion: The maternal mortality ratio during the study period was 905 maternal deaths per 100,000 LV. Deaths were preventable in
90.73% of cases. The avoidability factors found were varied.