Caesarean section and maternal mortality at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

There were sixteen maternal deaths following 1,450 Caesarian sections at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in an eight year period 1966 to 1974, a maternal mortality rate of 1.1%. The chief causes of maternal deaths in this environment are pre-eclamptic toxaemia, eclampsia and haemorrhage. Most of the obstetric deaths following Caesarian sections are preventable through the application of current knowledge and availability of modern facilities. Reduction of maternal deaths will follow recognition and attention to the most frequent causes.