High maternal mortality and stillbirth in the Wad Medani Hospital, Central Sudan, 2003-2007

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and causes of maternal deaths and stillbirths at the Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wad Medani, Sudan, from 1 January 2003 through 31 December 2007. All maternal deaths and stillbirths during this period were reviewed and classified retrospectively. There were 146 maternal deaths and 33034 live births, giving a maternal mortality ratio of 442/100,000 live births. The age range was 18-42 years with a mean (standard deviation) of 30.57 (5.26) years. The most common cause of death was septicaemia following obstructed labour or abortion-related sepsis, followed by haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia/ecalampsia, viral hepatitis and malaria. The stillbirth rate was 29/1000 births; the majority of which (8/1000) were macerated stillbirths.