Background: Maternal near misses [MNMs] were classified according to different criteria and were used for a number of years as a reliable instrument for assessing maternal health problems. However, this resulted in inconsistent estimates of the incidence of MNMs.
Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of maternal near-miss and maternal mortality causes in Damietta Governorate.
Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 295 pregnant females who were recruited from the Obstetrics and Gynecology emergency room and outpatient clinic at Al-Azhar University Hospital and general hospitals in Damietta governorate. All pregnant women underwent complete medical, gynecological, and obstetric history taking, general and local pelvi-abdominal examinations, routine laboratory investigations, and pelvi-abdominal ultrasound. The total number of MNMs and maternal deaths [MDs] were recorded during the study period.
Results: In all, 295 pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Their mean age was 27.186 ± 6.1 years, ranging from 18 to 44 years. Their mean gestational age was 35.4 ± 4.2 weeks, ranging from 15 to 42 weeks. Of these pregnant women, 35 [11.86%] had complications; 30 of the 35 sick women [85.71%] were MNMs, and 5 [14.29%] were MDs. Hepatic problems accounted for 42.90% of complications in pregnant women with morbidities, followed by neurologic problems [40%], respiratory problems [34.30%], cardiovascular problems [22.9%], coagulation problems [20%], uterine problems [17.1%], and renal problems [11.4%].
Conclusion: The WHO MNM criteria are important for the evaluation of care. Hemorrhage, preeclampsia and multi-organ failure are the main causes of death and MNM.