Levels and determinants of maternal morbidity: results from a community-based study in southern India

This analysis is based on detailed interviews with 3600 rural and urban women in southern India. They were younger than 35 and had at least one child less than 5 years of age. Each woman was questioned by a trained female interviewer and asked about problems she had encountered during the last pregnancy. Approximately two-fifths (41%) reported at least one morbid condition associated with that event. About one-fifth (18%) had had at least one problem during the antenatal period and delivery and another 23% indicated problems during the postpartum. Surgical interventions were made in 13.1% of all deliveries. However, if we consider only those taking place in hospital, more than one-third (34.2%) were delivered surgically. The relationship between socioeconomic and demographic factors and reported maternal morbidity has been examined by using multivariate statistical techniques. The policy implications of the study are discussed.