Trends in maternal mortality due to haemorrhage: two decades of Indian rural observations.

Obstetric haemorrhage continues to be a major cause of maternal mortality. Our analysis of records of over a period of 20 years from April 1982 to March 2002 reveals that it was a contributory cause of maternal mortality in 19.9% of cases. The majority of deaths, (65%) had occurred within 24 hours of admission and in 47.5% of cases there was severe anaemia on admission; 17.5% had died due to an atonic PPH, which was the largest category, followed by ruptured uterus (15%), abruptio placenta (15%) and retained placenta (12.5%). Deaths due to obstetric haemorrhage because of a ruptured uterus, retained placenta and abortion have decreased from 22.22% between 1982 and 1987 to zero in the last 5 years and an increase was seen in deaths due to haemorrhage because of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and ectopic pregnancy, from 1.69% to 4.87%, unclassified haemorrhage 1.96% to 7.31% and placenta praevia from zero between 1982 and 1987 to 4.87% between 1997 and 2002.