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Maternal Health
The same factors that result in maternal mortality make
pregnancy- and childbirth-related illness and injury
the second leading cause after HIV/AIDS of lost years
of healthy life among women of reproductive age in
developing countries—accounting for nearly 31 million
“disability-adjusted life years” lost annually.(17)
While the incidence and prevalence of maternal
morbidity are not well understood, an often-used
estimate is that 15 per cent of pregnant women will
experience complications of pregnancy or delivery
serious enough to require emergency obstetric care
in a health facility.(18)
Direct causes of maternal morbidity are obstetric
complications during pregnancy, labour, or the postpartum
period due to interventions, omissions or
incorrect treatment. Indirect maternal morbidity
results from previously existing conditions or disease,
aggravated by pregnancy; this type of disability may
occur at any time and continue throughout a woman’s
life. Maternal morbidity can also be psychological,
most often manifested by depression, which can
result from obstetric complications, interventions,
cultural practices or coercion.(19)
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