Ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths due to infection

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Infections during pregnancy contribute to over 300,000 maternal deaths and 1 million newborn deaths annually.
• These infections lead to adverse obstetrical outcomes like preterm delivery, stillbirth, and congenital anomalies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the burden of disease from key infections affecting maternal and newborn health.
• To highlight interventions for preventing maternal and newborn deaths related to infections.
• To identify research needs for better infection control in pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of infectious causes of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality.
• Analysis of disease burden and contribution of infections to adverse outcomes.
• Synthesis of current and needed interventions for prevention.

Main Results:

• Infectious causes account for 11% of maternal deaths and a significant proportion of neonatal deaths.
• Specific infections lead to preterm delivery, pre-labor rupture of membranes, stillbirth, and congenital infections.
• Effective interventions exist, but further research is needed.

Conclusions:

• Infections pose a major threat to maternal and newborn survival globally.
• Enhanced surveillance, point-of-care diagnostics, and vaccine strategies are critical research priorities.
• Multifaceted approaches are necessary to reduce infection-related mortality and morbidity in obstetrics.