[Epidemiological analysis of the role of fertility in the decrease of maternal mortality in the Spanish autonomic...

The study which has been carried out has meant to show from an epidemiological perspective the relationships which exist between fecundity and maternal mortality, and has underscored the need to take into account the changes which have taken place in the reproductive conduct of women when one studies the decrease in direct maternal mortality. For the analysis of the tendencies and periods selected, we have used the regressive linear rate and the rate of determination. It is worth pointing out the appearance of decreasing rates of maternal mortality in the pre-chemotherapeutic period which are equal to or higher than those found in the chemotherapeutic period in selected Autonomous Communities. We must also point out that the negative tendency which was shown by maternal mortality in Cataluña and the Basque region since 1919 shows an inversion between the mid-50s and the mid-60s, which were years of a great increase in fecundity in the mentioned areas.