Estimação da razão de mortalidade materna no Brasil, 2008-2011

Time series analysis: trend in late maternal mortality in Brazil, 2010-2019

To analyze the temporal trend of the late maternal mortality ratio (LMMR) in Brazil and its geographic regions in the period from 2010 to 2019, an ecological time series study was conducted. Data related to late maternal mortality from information systems of the Brazilian Ministry of Health were used. Statistical analysis used Prais-Winsten autoregressive models. A total of 1,470 late maternal deaths were reported in Brazil, resulting in an LMMR of 5 deaths per 100,000 live births. The late maternal mortality records revealed regional disparities, with the lowest index in the North (3.5/100,000 live births) and the highest in the South (8.3/100,000 live births). The LMMR showed an increasing trend in the country, with a general increase in the LMMR in the period and a mean annual percentage variation of 9.79% (95%CI: 4.32; 15.54). The Central-West region led this increase, with a mean annual percentage change of 26.06% (95%CI: 16.36; 36.56), followed by the North and Northeast regions, with 23.5% (95%CI: 13.93; 33.88). About 83% of the reported late maternal deaths were investigated, and 65.6% were corrected by the Maternal Mortality Committees. These findings highlight the relevance of late maternal mortality as an important indicator for maternal health, which is often invisible. The increase in the LMMR result from the improvement in the quality of the registration of these deaths in recent years in Brazil, and especially from the work of investigating deaths. The fragility of reporting with regional disparities points to the need for a more comprehensive approach that promotes equity and prevention of avoidable late maternal mortality.

Maternal mortality: protocol of a study integrated to the Birth in Brazil II survey

The Maternal Mortality Study conducts a hospital investigation of maternal deaths that occurred in 2020/2021 in the maternity hospitals sampled by the Birth in Brazil II survey, with the following objectives: estimate the maternal mortality underreporting; calculate a correction factor and the corrected (MMR); validate the causes of maternal mortality reported in the death certificate (DC); and analyze the factors associated with maternal mortality. The Birth in Brazil II includes approximately 24,250 puerperal women distributed in 465 public, private, and mixed hospitals with ≥ 100 live births/year in the five macroregions of Brazil. The Maternal Mortality Study data will be completed using the same Birth in Brazil II questionnaire, from the consultation of hospital records. Trained obstetricians will fill out a new DC (redone DC) from independent analysis of this questionnaire, comparing it to official data. The database of the investigated deaths will be related to the deaths listed in the Mortality Information System of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, allowing the estimation of underreporting and calculation of the corrected MMR. To calculate the reliability of the causes of death, the kappa test and prevalence-adjusted kappa with 95% confidence interval will be used. A case-control study to estimate the risk factors for maternal mortality will be developed with the investigated deaths (cases) and the controls obtained in the Birth in Brazil II survey, using conditional multiple logistic regression models. We expect this research to contribute to the correction of the underreporting of maternal mortality and to a better understanding of the determinants of the persistence of a high MMR in Brazil.

Usefulness of the Hospital Information System for maternal mortality surveillance in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the capability of hospital records in the Hospital Information System (SIH) to add valuable and complementary information to the Mortality Information System (SIM) in studies on maternal mortality. We calculated and compared the maternal mortality ratio from the SIH and SIM databases, by age group and region, to highlight differences between groups and assess the coverage of maternal deaths using SIH compared with SIM.

METHODS

Obstetric hospitalizations were defined based on three sources (codes ICD-10 in diagnoses; procedures; billing information). Hospital and SIM mortality ratios were calculated by dividing maternal deaths in hospitals affiliated to the Unified Brazilian Health System (SUS) per live births (SINASC) in the same hospitals.

RESULTS

In 2019, we identified 2,497,957 obstetric admissions, 0.04% (946) with in-hospital mortality as outcome. The presence of three criteria identified 98% of obstetric hospitalizations and 83% of obstetric hospitalizations with death as outcome. The comparison of mortality ratios between SIH (45.5 MMR; 95%CI 42.7 - 48.5) and SIM (49.7 MMR; 95%CI 46.7 - 52.8) was not statistically significant (p-value: 0.053).

CONCLUSION

The analysis of SIH was able to provide additional information for the monitoring and surveillance of maternal health in Brazil. Although there are differences between the mortality rates, the SIH, as a complementary information system to the SIM, may be valid in studies on maternal mortality and morbidity.

Maternal Mortality in Brazil, 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

INTRODUCTION

Maternal death continues to be one of the most challenging public health problems that needs to be addressed in low and middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to describe the problem of maternal death in Brazil, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD).

METHODS

This study used data from the GBD 2019 to show the numbers of deaths and the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) - number of deaths/100,000 live births - in Brazil and its 27 Federated Units (FU), for ages 10 to 54 years, from 1990 to 2019. The annual variation of the MMR was estimated in 1990, 2010, and 2019. The MMR were shown for specific causes as well as for five-year age groups. The estimates were presented with 95% uncertainty intervals (UI).

RESULTS

The number of maternal deaths, as well as the MMR showed a 49% reduction from 1990 to 2019. This reduction occurred heterogeneously throughout the country, and the profile of the MMR for specific causes changed between 1990 and 2019: from hypertensive gestation diseases, to indirect maternal deaths, followed by hypertensive gestation diseases. In the extreme age groups, the MMR is higher, with mortality increasing exponentially in direct proportion with age.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal deaths in Brazil have decreased substantially since 1990; however, the numbers still fall short of what was established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Indirect causes are the greatest problem in more than 60% of the FU, especially for hypertensive pregnancy diseases.

Tendência da mortalidade materna no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, entre 2006 e 2018, segundo a classificação CID-MM

O objetivo foi analisar a tendência da razão de mortalidade materna (RMM) segundo a classificação CID-Mortalidade Materna (CID-MM) no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, no período de 2006 a 2018. Foi realizado estudo de tendência temporal da RMM no Rio de Janeiro segundo tipo de óbito - direto ou indireto - e grupos de causas da classificação CID-MM, da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). A RMM foi calculada com dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) e do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC). As tendências foram estimadas pelo Joinpoint Regression Program. Dos 2.192 óbitos maternos no estado, 61% foram por causas diretas, 34% indiretas e 5% não especificadas. A tendência da RMM total e por causas diretas foi de declínio: 1,2% (IC95%: -2,3; -0,1) ao ano e 3,8% (IC95%: -4,9; -2,6) entre 2006 e 2015, respectivamente. Para causas diretas, segundo a CID-MM, o grupo 2 (causas hipertensivas) foi preponderante, mas houve declínio da eclâmpsia. Seguiram-se o grupo 5 (outras complicações, das quais se destacaram a categoria O90 e a subcategoria O90.3 - cardiomiopatia no puerpério) e o grupo 1 (gravidez que termina em aborto). As causas indiretas apresentaram estabilidade e a maioria pertencia à categoria O99 e suas subcategorias, relacionadas a doenças cardiovasculares e respiratórias. A RMM no Rio de Janeiro apresentou tendência de declínio entre 2006 e 2018, porém distante do recomendado pela OMS e com diferentes comportamentos entre as causas. A classificação CID-MM foi útil para identificar grandes grupos de causas, mas é preciso desagregar por subcategorias, para o adequado conhecimento da etiologia da morte materna.

Will Brazil comply with the SDG 3.1 of the 2030 Agenda? An analysis of maternal mortality, from 1996 to 2018

This article aims to analyze if it is possible for Brazil to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3.1, based on a diagnosis of the situation of maternal mortality in the Health Regions (HRs) of Brazil, in 2018, and the main characteristics of this mortality between 1996 and 2018 in the country. The study consists of two articulated phases: (i) bibliographical analysis of maternal mortality in Brazil; (ii) study in the Mortality Information System (SIM, in Portuguese). In 2018, from the 450 HRs, 159 showed a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of above 70 per 100,000 live births (LBs). Between 1996 and 2018, in Brazil, there was a reduction among women 30 to 49 years of age. However, in the age group of 10 to 29 years, there was no change during the time studied. The dissemination of the Maternal Mortality Committees, the PHPN, the PNAISM, and the "Stork Network" have all contributed to improvements in late pregnancies; however, they were inefficient at preventing deaths among young mothers. Compliance with SDG 3.1 requires: prioritization of CIR with MMR greater than 70.0/100,000 LB; qualification of prenatal services, focusing on care among women aged 10 to 29 years and hypertensive complications; and legalization of abortion.

A Comparative Case Study: Does the Organization of Primary Health Care in Brazil and Turkey Contribute to Reducing Disparities in Access to Care?

Brazil and Turkey are among the few high-middle-income countries that explicitly chose to strengthen their primary health care (PHC) systems as the centerpiece of much broader health system reforms aiming to narrow inequities in access to care. This comparative case study reviews the organization of Brazil and Turkey's PHC systems to derive lessons that can apply to other countries that may consider reforming the organization of PHC systems as a way to address health inequities. The analysis uses the Flagship Framework to investigate how the organization of PHC delivery in Brazil and Turkey can lead to measurable improvements in access to care. It compares (1) the degree of decentralization in PHC service delivery responsibilities, (2) the use of multi-professional PHC teams, and (3) patient impanelment strategies. The comparative analysis offers three important lessons. First, changes in the organization of PHC systems can contribute to observable improvements in the level and distribution of health outcomes, but organizational strategies do not guarantee eliminating disparities in access. Second, PHC systems can operate in health systems with varying degrees of decentralization, but the level of decentralization may influence implementation. Third, relying on multi-professional PHC teams that serve geographically empaneled populations can improve equitable access to care, but course corrections may be needed to address evolving health demands.

Temporal Trend of Near Miss and its Regional Variations in Brazil from 2010 to 2018

Cases of maternal near miss are those in which women survive severe maternal complications during pregnancy or the puerperium. This ecological study aimed to identify the temporal trend of near-miss cases in different regions of Brazil between 2010 and 2018, using data from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the Unified Brazilian Health System (SUS, in the Portuguese acronym). Hospital admission records of women between 10 and 49 years old with diagnosis included in the 10^th Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and codes indicating near-miss events were selected. From 20,891,040 admissions due to obstetric causes, 766,249 (3.66%) near-miss cases were identified, and 31,475 women needed admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The cases were found to be more predominant in black women over 35 years old from the North and Northeast regions. There was a trend of increase in near-miss rates of ∼ 13.5% a year during the period of the study. The trend presented a different behavior depending on the level of development of the region studied. The main causes of near miss were preeclampsia (47%), hemorrhage (24%), and sepsis (18%).

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality in obstetric patients with severe COVID-19 in Brazil: a surveillance database analysis

OBJECTIVE

To describe clinical characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women with severe COVID-19 in Brazil and to examine risk factors for mortality.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study based on secondary surveillance database analysis.

SETTING

Nationwide Brazil.

POPULATION OR SAMPLE

978 Brazilian pregnant and postpartum women notified as COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) cases with complete outcome (death or cure) up to 18 June 2020.

METHODS

Data was abstracted from the Brazilian ARDS Surveillance System (ARDS-SS) database. All eligible cases were included. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, intensive care resources use and outcomes were collected. Risk factors for mortality were examined by multivariate logistic regression.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Case fatality rate.

RESULTS

We identified 124 maternal deaths, corresponding to a case fatality rate among COVID-19 ARDS cases in the obstetric population of 12.7%. At least one comorbidity was present in 48.4% of fatal cases compared with 24.9% in survival cases. Among women who died, 58.9% were admitted to ICU, 53.2% had invasive ventilation and 29.0% had no respiratory support. The multivariate logistic regression showed that the main risk factors for maternal death by COVID-19 were being postpartum at onset of ARDS, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, whereas white ethnicity had a protective effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Negative outcomes of COVID-19 in this population are affected by clinical characteristics but social determinants of health also seem to play a role. It is urgent to reinforce containment measures targeting the obstetric population and ensure high quality care throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

A total of 124 COVID-19 maternal deaths were identified in Brazil. Symptoms onset at postpartum and comorbidities are risk factors.

Evaluation of the Rede Cegonha: feedback of results for Brazilian maternity hospitals

This paper describes and analyzes the process of providing feedback on the results of the second evaluation cycle of good practices of delivery and birth care in maternity hospitals linked to the Rede Cegonha, a Ministry of Health strategy implemented in 2011 to improve obstetric and neonatal healthcare and management. This is a qualitative study based on the documentary analysis of 27 reports from the states and the Federal District referring to the feedback workshops with 1.641 participants, 40% of whom were professionals and managers of the maternity hospitals evaluated, 25% of state representatives, 20% of municipal health secretariats and 15% of federal representatives. Around 46% of maternity hospitals' action plans in 11 states were received from January to August 2019. The results show the challenge of incorporating the monitoring and evaluation processes in these maternity hospitals' daily lives due to structural issues in institutional culture. This situation interferes with the local systematic analysis of information and the implementation of national evaluation cycles with the swift and continuous feedback of the results since access to secondary national data is non-existent in good delivery care practices.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Zero Mothers Die (ZMD App) in Brazil: contributing to digital health with the approach on care centred for e-pregnant woman

Abstract Objectives: to describe the adaptation process of the Zero Mothers Die app, developed in Europe, is to combat maternal mortality, was brought into the Brazilian context with an individualized auscultation methodology for pregnant women and mothers who attended a high complexity referred teaching hospital. Methods: the research consisted of two parts: the participant observation technique was used by health professionals to translate the platform; with an approach in the service with online forms for pregnant women, and the content analysis was performed by grounded theory of the data. During five months, 109 pregnant women and mothers installed the app, but only 17 completed the questionnaire. Results: the women and health professionals pointed out questions such as interactivity, application interface, content, pregnancy and childcare clinical management, which contributed for the Brazilian version. Conclusions: the participatory medicine and e-pregnant woman are new premises of a humanization policy for women and childcare. The insertion of an app with information based on the best evidence in the prenatal routine in the health establishments with teaching activities that can provide new dialogue connections with the pregnant women and chances to update the professional in training.

Mortes maternas por aborto entre adolescentes no Piauí, Brasil

RESUMO Este artigo analisa as mortes maternas de adolescentes no Piauí e descreve as histórias daquelas que morreram por aborto induzido entre 2008 e 2013. O estudo foi realizado em duas etapas. A primeira, quantitativa, obteve dados demográficos e causas básicas dos óbitos do Sistema de Informações de Mortalidade. Na segunda, qualitativa, foram entrevistadas as mães das adolescentes. As mortes de adolescentes representaram 17,2% (50 casos) do total de óbitos maternos. A maior parte das jovens residia em cidades do interior (78%) e era negra (70%). Destacaram-se como causas dos óbitos transtornos hipertensivos (28%), infecção puerperal (16%), hemorragia (12%), tromboembolismo (12%) e aborto (10%). O uso de medicamento ocorreu em todos os casos de aborto, sendo sangramento abundante e dor pélvica os principais motivos para a busca de atendimento hospitalar. Houve demora no diagnóstico e no tratamento adequado das complicações do aborto, o que pode ter contribuído para a morte das adolescentes. As mortes maternas de adolescentes foram causadas por condições consideradas evitáveis. As histórias das jovens que morreram por complicações do aborto evidenciaram a necessidade de assistência em saúde rápida e disponível, além de leis e políticas públicas que protejam as mulheres que decidem interromper a gravidez.

Violência obstétrica: influência da Exposição Sentidos do Nascer na vivência das gestantes

Resumo O excesso de intervenções no parto no Brasil tem sido reportado como violência obstétrica e contribui para os índices elevados morbi-mortalidade materna e neonatal. A exposição Sentidos do Nascer busca incentivar o parto normal para promover a saúde e melhorar a experiência de parir e nascer no País. Este artigo analisa o perfil e a experiência de parto de 555 mulheres que visitaram a exposição durante a gestação, com enfoque na percepção sobre violência obstétrica. A violência obstétrica foi reportada por 12,6% das mulheres e associada ao estado civil, à menor renda, à ausência de companheiro, ao parto em posição litotômica, à realização da manobra de Kristeller e à separação precoce do bebê após o parto. Predominaram nos relatos de violência obstétrica: intervenção não consentida/aceita com informações parciais, cuidado indigno/abuso verbal; abuso físico; cuidado não confidencial/privativo e discriminação. A visita à exposição aumentou o conhecimento das gestantes sobre violência obstétrica. Entretanto, o reconhecimento de procedimentos obsoletos ou danosos na assistência ao parto como violência obstétrica foi ainda baixo. Iniciativas como esta podem contribuir para ampliar o conhecimento e a mobilização social sobre as práticas na assistência ao parto e nascimento.

PERINATAL CARE IN A NORTHEASTERN BRAZILIAN STATE: STRUCTURE, WORK PROCESSES, AND EVALUATION OF THE COMPONENTS OF ESSENTIAL NEWBORN CARE

OBJECTIVE

To describe the structure and the processes of care for pregnant women/newborn infants, including the Essential Newborn Care (ENC), in maternity hospitals in Sergipe State, Brazil.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study carried out between June 2015 and April 2016 in all maternity hospitals of Sergipe with more than 500 deliveries/year (n=11). A questionnaire on the existing structure and work processes was administered to the managers. Subsequently, a representative number of postpartum women from these hospitals were interviewed (n=768). Their medical records, as well as newborn infants' records, were also analyzed.

RESULTS

Sergipe has 78 beds of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and 90 beds of Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) to meet spontaneous and programmed demand. Only six maternity hospitals (54.5%) performed the risk classification, and four (36.3%) had protocols for high-risk parturient care. Regarding the ENC components, only 41% (n=315) of the women had early skin-to-skin contact with their babies, 33.1% (n=254) breastfed in the first hour of life, and 18% (n=138) had a companion always during birth.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of NICU beds between capital city and other cities of the State is adequate, considering Brazilian guidelines. However, there was a low adherence to the protocols for hypertensive and hemorrhagic emergencies, and a low coverage of humanization policies, pregnancy risk classification and ENC practices, especially breastfeeding in the first hour of life, and companion always during birth.

Economic and racial inequalities in the prenatal care of pregnant teenagers in Brazil, 2011-2012

Abstract Objectives: to analyze the prenatal care of pregnant teenagers interviewed in the post-partum period in Brazilian maternity hospitals, according to economic status and skin color. Methods: data were obtained from the Birth in Brazil study, a national hospital-based survey in 2011 and 2012. Information was obtained from interviews with the postpartum women and from data collected from their prenatal cards. Multivariate logistic regression was used to verify whether maternal and prenatal care characteristics were associated with ina-dequate prenatal care. Results: a total of 3,317 teenage mothers were interviewed in the postpartum period, 84.4% of whom had received inadequate prenatal care, with worse results for lower-income, lower-schooling, and multiparous teens. In the same way, it became evident the higher proportion of black teenagers and those from economic classes D/E among those who failed to receive routine laboratory tests, who received little orientation on the pregnancy, labor, and childbirth, and who were forced to go from one maternity hospital to another before being admitted to give birth. Conclusions: strategies targeted to the most vulnerable pregnant teenagers should be implemented in order to achieve greater equality in teenagers’ prenatal care, seeking to assure easier access, earlier initiation of care, and greater case-resolution capacity

Temporal trends of maternal near miss in Brazil between 2000 and 2012

Abstract Objectives: to identify the temporal trends and regional variations in maternal near miss in Brazil. Methods: ecological study of temporal trends. The units of analysis are in the States, the regions and Brazil, between 2000 and 2012, the dependent variable being the maternal near miss rate (MNMR), calculated from the records of the Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH-SUS) (National Health Hospital Information System).Regression analysis using Joinpoint regression software, version 4.1.0. was applied to analyze morbidity trends. Results: the main result of this study was a finding on an increase rate trend in maternal near miss in Brazil, between 2000 and 2012. This trend behaves differently depending on the development level of the region studied, presenting a positively higher increase in less developed regions and states. Conclusions: there is an increasing trend in maternal near miss rates in Brazil. The SIH-SUS may be an important instrument in identifying and monitoring maternal morbidity. Furthermore, investments in more effective public policies are needed to reduce inequalities and improve human development, both of which have influenced the chain of events related to maternal health.

Saúde reprodutiva, materna, neonatal e infantil nos 30 anos do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)

Resumo Este estudo apresenta um sumário das intervenções realizadas no âmbito do setor público e os indicadores de resultado alcançados na saúde de mulheres e crianças, destacando-se os avanços no período 1990-2015. Foram descritos indicadores de atenção pré-natal, assistência ao parto e saúde materna e infantil utilizando dados provenientes de Sistemas de Informação Nacionais de nascidos vivos e óbitos; inquéritos nacionais; e publicações obtidas de diversas outras fontes. Foram também descritos os programas governamentais desenvolvidos para a melhoria da saúde das mulheres e das crianças, bem como outros intersetoriais para redução da pobreza. Houve grande queda nas taxas de fecundidade, universalização da atenção pré-natal e hospitalar ao parto, aumento do acesso à contracepção e aleitamento materno, e diminuição das hospitalizações por aborto e da subnutrição. Mantém-se em excesso a sífilis congênita, taxa de cesarianas e nascimentos prematuros. A redução na mortalidade na infância foi de mais de 2/3, mas não tão marcada no componente neonatal. A razão de mortalidade materna decresceu de 143,2 para 59,7 por 1000 NV. Embora alguns poucos indicadores tenham demonstrado piora ou mantido a estabilidade, a grande maioria apresentou acentuadas melhoras.

Maternal mortality according to race/skin color in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, from 2010 to 2015

Abstract Objectives: to investigate the epidemiological profile, by race/skin color, of maternal deaths in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Methods: the present epidemiological study of maternal death distribution by race/skin color was based on data extracted from Brazilian mortality and livebirth information systems from 2010 to 2015. The maternal mortality ratio and the specific maternal mortality ratio were calculated and analyzed according to obstetric variables. Results: the death risk for black (RR = 4.3, CI95%= 2.088.71) and indigenous women (RR = 3.7, CI95% 2.26.23) was approximately fourfold in comparison to the risk for white women. For direct causes of death, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul showed higher levels, 74.1%, as well as for most races/skin colors in the first triennium. The specific maternal mortality ratio was higher among black and indigenous women aged30 to 39 years old (416.7 and 651.8, respectively) per 100,000 live births (p<0.05). Conclusions: higher maternal mortality ratio for indigenous and black women and the predominance of deaths related to direct obstetric causes among race/skin color categories reflect inadequate health care during pregnancy and puerperium.

[Assessment of adherence to the Safe Childbirth Checklist in a public maternity hospital in Northeast Brazil]

Decreasing childbirth-related mortality is a current global health priority. The World Health Organization developed the Safe Childbirth Checklist to reduce adverse events in maternal and perinatal care, using simple and effective practices. The current study aims to evaluate adherence to the checklist by professionals in a maternity hospital in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. The study used an observational, cross-sectional approach to evaluate all births in three months, with data collected from patient charts. Adherence was described on the basis of presence and quality of the checklist's completion, and bivariate analysis was performed using the association with childbirth-related factors. Of 978 patient charts that were reviewed, 71% had the list, an average of 24% of the items were completed, but only 0.1% of the patient charts were totally completed; better completion was seen in vaginal deliveries and at the time of patient admission. Checklist adherence showed limitations that are inherent to the adoption of a new safety routine and requires continuous training of the health professionals to achieve better results.

Adequação das informações de mortalidade e correção dos óbitos informados a partir da Pesquisa de Busca Ativa

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é propor indicadores de adequação e estimar fatores de correção para os óbitos informados ao SIM. Em 2014, foi realizada uma Pesquisa de Busca Ativa para captar óbitos ocorridos no ano de 2012 em uma amostra de municípios das regiões Norte e Nordeste, e dos estados de Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso e Goiás. Para caracterizar a cobertura das informações de óbitos, foram propostos indicadores de adequação por município. Os fatores de correção foram estimados para indivíduos com um ano ou mais de idade e para crianças menores de 1 ano. Entre os óbitos de 1 ano ou mais, as coberturas são superiores a 90% em 12 estados. Já para óbitos infantis, a cobertura foi inferior a 80% em 7 estados. Os resultados dos modelos de regressão mostraram associação entre os fatores de correção estimados e os indicadores de adequação propostos. Verificou-se grande precariedade das informações em 227 municípios, para os quais o número informado de óbitos infantis, mesmo corrigido, não conseguiu atingir o mínimo esperado. Embora os avanços conseguidos na informação dos dados vitais no Brasil sejam reconhecidos, os resultados mostram que o nosso maior desafio está em alcançar municípios rurais e remotos, que ainda não dispõem de informações vitais adequadas.

[Late maternal mortality: comparison of maternal mortality committees in Brazil]

This population-based study included all the late maternal deaths from the case series of the Maternal Mortality Committees in the city of São Paulo and the state of Paraná, Brazil. The study compared 134 deaths identified by the São Paulo committee and 124 from the Paraná committee in 2004-2013, aimed at demonstrating the magnitude and causes of late maternal mortality. Late maternal deaths accounted for 13.4% of all maternal deaths in the case series of the São Paulo committee and 12.1% in the cases series of the Paraná committee. Direct obstetric causes accounted for 32.1% of the late maternal deaths in São Paulo and 42.1% in Paraná, with postpartum cardiomyopathy as the principal cause in both case series. Death occurred between 43 and 69 days postpartum in 44% of the cases in São Paulo and 39.5% in Paraná. The correction factor for late maternal death was 3.3 in São Paulo and 4.3 in Paraná. Late maternal death had a relevant impact on overall maternal mortality, and postpartum cardiomyopathy was the principal cause of late direct obstetric death.

Factors associated with maternal near miss in childbirth and the postpartum period: findings from the birth in Brazil National Survey, 2011-2012

BACKGROUND

Maternal near-miss (MNM) audits are considered a useful approach to improving maternal healthcare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with maternal near-miss cases in childbirth and the postpartum period in Brazil.

METHODS

The study is based on data from a nationwide hospital-based survey of 23,894 women conducted in 2011-2012. The data are from interviews with mothers during the postpartum period and from hospital medical files. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to analyze factors associated with MNM, including estimation of crude and adjusted odds ratios and their respective 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI).

RESULTS

The estimated incidence of MNM was 10.2/1,000 live births (95 % CI: 7.5-13.7). In the adjusted analyses, MNM was associated with the absence of antenatal care (OR: 4.65; 95 % CI: 1.51-14.31), search for two or more services before admission to delivery care (OR: 4.49; 95 % CI: 2.12-9.52), obstetric complications (OR: 9.29; 95 % CI: 6.69-12.90), and type of birth: elective C-section (OR: 2.54; 95 % CI: 1.67-3.88) and forceps (OR: 9.37; 95 % CI: 4.01-21.91). Social and demographic maternal characteristics were not associated with MNM, although women who self-reported as white and women with higher schooling had better access to antenatal and maternity care services.

CONCLUSION

The high proportion of elective C-sections performed among women in better social and economic situations in Brazil is likely attenuating the benefits that could be realized from improved prenatal care and greater access to maternity services. Strategies for reducing the rate of MNM in Brazil should focus on: 1) increasing access to prenatal care and delivery care, particularly among women who are at greater social and economic risk and 2) reducing the rate of elective cesarean section, particularly among women who receive services at private maternity facilities, where C-section rates reach 90 % of births.

Childbirth care in Brazil: a critical situation has not yet been overcome. 1999-2013

Abstract Objectives: to analyze the evolution of childbirth care in Brazil, between 1999-2013. Methods: a time-series ecological study, using data from Ministry of Health, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and Interagency Network of Information for Health. 18 indicators were analyzed related to childbirth and mortality. Results: there was a reduction in rates of fertility, natality and the total number of births, with increased cesarean surgeries. Growth of prenatal consultation, intensive care beds and reduction of beds in obstetrics sector. The significant growth of caesarean deliveries, prenatal consultation coverage and concentration of births in hospitals occurred simultaneously with the growth: of preventable child deaths by adequate attention, management causes and appropriate delivery, prematurity; low weight; Down's syndrome; and the persistence of maternal deaths due to direct obstetric causes. Conclusions: persists hegemonic technocratic model of childbirth care without considering the observed changes in the profile of mothers and births, with slow reduction of perinatal and neonatal deaths and maintenance of high maternal mortality demonstrating that the critical situation of delivery care model in Brazil has not, yet, been overcome.

Caesarean Delivery and Postpartum Maternal Mortality: A Population-Based Case Control Study in Brazil

BACKGROUND

Cesarean delivery rates continue to increase worldwide and reached 57% in Brazil in 2014. Although the safety of this surgery has improved in the last decades, this trend is a concern because it carries potential risks to women's health and may be a modifiable risk factor of maternal mortality. This paper aims to investigate the risk of postpartum maternal death directly associated with cesarean delivery in comparison to vaginal delivery in Brazil.

METHODS

This was a population-based case-control study performed in eight Brazilian states. To control for indication bias, deaths due to antenatal morbidity were excluded. We included 73 cases of postpartum maternal deaths from 2009-2012. Controls were selected from the Birth in Brazil Study, a 2011 nationwide survey including 9,221 postpartum women. We examined the association of cesarean section and postpartum maternal death by multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

After controlling for indication bias and confounders, the risk of postpartum maternal death was almost three-fold higher with cesarean than vaginal delivery (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.63-5.06), mainly due to deaths from postpartum hemorrhage and complications of anesthesia.

CONCLUSION

Cesarean delivery is an independent risk factor of postpartum maternal death. Clinicians and patients should consider this fact in balancing the benefits and risks of the procedure.

Incidence and determinants of severe maternal morbidity: a transversal study in a referral hospital in Teresina, Piaui, Brazil

BACKGROUND

Maternal near miss (MNM) investigation is a useful tool for monitoring standards for obstetric care. This study evaluated the prevalence and the determinants of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and MNM in a tertiary referral hospital in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil.

METHODS

A transversal and prospective study was conducted between September 2012 and February 2013. The cases were included according to criteria established by the WHO. Odds ratio, their respective confidence intervals, and multivariate analyses were examined.

RESULTS

Five thousand eight hundred forty one live births, 343 women with SMM, 56 cases of MNM, and 10 maternal deaths were investigated. The rate for severe maternal outcomes was 11.2 cases per 1000 live births, the rate of MNM was 9.6 cases/1000 live births, and the rate for mortality was 171.2 cases/100,000 live births. Management criteria were most frequently observed among MNM/death cases. Hypertensive diseases (86.1%) and hemorrhagic complications (10.0%) were the main determinants of MNM, but infectious abortion was the most common isolated cause of maternal death. There was a correlation between MNM/death and hospitalized more than 5 days (p = 0.023) and between termination of pregnancy by cesarean (p = 0.002) and APGAR < 7 in the 1(st) minute (p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

SMM and MNM were quite prevalent in the population studied. Women whose condition progressed to MNM/death had a higher association with terminating pregnancy by cesarean, longer hospitalization times, and worse perinatal results. The results from the study can be useful to improve the quality of obstetric care and consequently diminish maternal mortality in the region.