[Clinical pathological analysis of peripartum maternal mortality (author's transl)]

All maternal deaths which occurred in relation to labour at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Graz, between 1963 and 1978 were reviewed and analysed. 24 mothers died over this 15-year period. The maternal death rate was 0.34 per thousand. In all cases a post mortem examination was performed. The youngest woman was 19, the oldest 42 years old. Most of the decreased mothers were primiparae. The main cause of maternal death was post-partum haemorrhage, followed by infection of the uterus especially after Caesarean section. Three mothers died of liver distrophy. The remaining causes were eclampsia (2 cases); pulmonary artery embolism after Caesarean section (2 cases); irreversible shock from amniotic fluid and air embolism (one case each); uraemia due to glomerulo- or pyelonephritis (one case each); malignant melanoma (one case). It is demonstrated that special risk factors are advanced maternal age, low social status and lack of antenatal care.