[Analysis of maternal death rates and causes in 21 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions].

An analysis of maternal mortality in 287 cities, districts and counties of 21 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions covering a population of 177,550,000 in China in 1984-1985 was reported. Total number of live births was 15,466,368 in the areas investigated, with 4 669078 in the urban areas and 10,797,290 in rural areas. The number of maternal deaths was 7,485 882 were in urban areas and 6,603 in rural areas, giving a maternal mortality of 18.9/100,000 in urban areas and 61.2/100,000 in rural areas. Deaths due to direct obstetric causes constituted 71% of the total deaths. The sequences of the main causes were: obstetric hemorrhage, cardiac diseases, pregnancy induced hypertension, amniotic fluid embolism and puerperal infection. Obstetric hemorrhage caused nearly half of the total deaths. The maternal care for these cases was unsatisfactory. The average number of antenatal examination was only 2. In the rural areas half of the cases were delivered not in hospital but at home, and 1/6 of the cases died on the way to hospital. A discussion was made on the investigated material.