Impact of near-miss event during pregnancy and childbirth on maternal health at 12 months

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of maternal near-miss on late maternal death and the prevalence of hypertension or chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mental health problems at 12 months of follow up. MethodsThis prospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in the southeastern region of India from May 2018 to August 2019, enrolling those with maternal near-miss and with follow up for 12 months. The primary outcomes were incidence of late maternal deaths and prevalence of hypertension and CKD during follow up. ResultsIncidence of maternal near miss was 6.7 per 1000 live births. Among those who had a near miss, late maternal deaths occurred in 7.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1%-11.3%); prevalence of CKD was 23.0% (95% CI 16.2%-29.8%), and of hypertension was 56.2% (95% CI 50.5%-66.5%) and only two women had depression on follow up. After adjusting for age, parity, socioeconomic status, gestational age at delivery, hemoglobin levels, and perinatal loss, only serum creatinine was independently associated with late maternal death and CKD on follow up. ConclusionsWomen who survive a life-threatening complication during pregnancy and childbirth are at increased risk of mortality and one or more long-term sequelae contributing to the non-communicable disease burden. A policy shift to increase postpartum follow-up duration, following a high-risk targeted approach after a near-miss event, is needed.

Automated summary

This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the impact of maternal near-miss on late maternal death and the prevalence of hypertension or chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mental health problems. The study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in India, enrolling maternal near-miss cases with 12 months of follow-up. The results showed that the incidence of maternal near-miss was 6.7 per 1000 live births, with 7.2% experiencing late maternal deaths, 23.0% having CKD, 56.2% having hypertension, and only two women showing depression during follow-up. Serum creatinine was independently associated with late maternal death and CKD. The study concludes that women who survive life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth are at increased risk of mortality and long-term sequelae, urging the need for a policy shift to increase postpartum follow-up duration, targeting high-risk cases after a near-miss event.