Explanatory Notes

Events occurring in 2004 and registered from January 2004 to March 2005 are included in the statistics presented in this report. Statistics for this vital event were based on information obtained from the Death Certificates (Municipal Form No. 103) transmitted by the City/Municipal Civil Registrars to the National Statistics Office for processing and archiving. Note, however, that no adjustments for underregistration or for delay in the submission of certificates were made in the presented data.

Maternal death refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.

Maternal deaths in 2004 increase by 1.9 percent

In 2004, the number of maternal deaths reached a total of 1,833. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) resulted to 107.1 per 100,000 live births, demonstrating a slight decline from the previous year's record of 107.7. (Table 1)

The National Capital Region (NCR), Calabarzon, and Central Visayas registered the most number of maternal deaths. NCR topped with 275 cases or 15.0 percent of the total. Calabarzon came in second with 191 maternal deaths or 10.4 percent, followed by Central Visayas with 182 or 9.9 percent.

On the other hand, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recorded the least occurrence of maternal deaths with 14 or 0.8 percent and 20 or 1.1 percent, respectively.

Older women tend to have higher risk of death in pregnancy

Mothers at age groups 30-34 and 35-39 years had the largest number of maternal deaths with 393 (21.4%) and 361 (19.7%), respectively. Younger age groups (25 to 29 years) had relatively lower maternal deaths. Specifically, women in older age groups (40-44 and 45-49 years and over) had higher risk of death in pregnancy and giving birth than those women at the beginning of their reproductive years (15-19 years). Refer Table 2.

More than one-third of maternal deaths are caused by complications of labour and delivery

Most maternal deaths were due to complications of labour and delivery (629 or 34.3%). Other major causes of deaths were oedema, proteinuria, and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (520 or 28.4%) and complications predominantly related to the puerperium (215 or 11.7%). These caused the deaths particularly of mothers whose ages ranged from 20 to 39 years.

Other causes of maternal deaths were obstetric condition, not elsewhere classified (154 or 8.4%); pregnancy with abortive outcome (152 or 8.3%); and maternal care related to the fetus and amniotic cavity and possible delivery problems (145 or 7.9%). The least number was attributed to other pregnancy disorders predominantly related to pregnancy with 18 or 1.0 percent.

Highest mortality occurs in November

The month of November recorded the most number of pregnancy-related deaths with 198 or 6.6 daily average. Second and third in rank, respectively, were those that occurred in September (180) and May (177). In contrast, February had the least number of maternal deaths with 118 cases or 4.1 daily average (Table 3).

Most maternal deaths are medically attended

Most maternal deaths were attended to by hospital authorities (1,096 cases or 59.8%). Those that were not medically attended totalled to 676 or 36.9 percent. Physicians and public health officers attended to 45 (2.5%) and 12 cases (0.7%) of maternal deaths, respectively. (Table 3)