From the Guidelines
In Canada, approximately 8 to 12 women die each year from pregnancy-related complications, resulting in a maternal mortality rate of about 8.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. This rate is relatively low compared to global statistics but still represents preventable tragedies. The leading causes of maternal death in Canada include hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders like preeclampsia, embolism, and cardiac conditions. Indigenous women and those in remote areas face higher risks due to healthcare access disparities. Most maternal deaths occur during delivery or in the postpartum period, with about one-third happening after discharge from the hospital. Canada's universal healthcare system, skilled obstetric care, and prenatal monitoring contribute to its relatively low maternal mortality rate, though ongoing efforts focus on addressing disparities and improving care for vulnerable populations.
Some key points to consider:
- The United States has a considerably higher maternal mortality rate than other developed countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada 1.
- Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is more common than maternal mortality, with approximately 70 cases of SMM for every pregnancy-related death 1.
- Emerging initiatives to improve maternal health include data and surveillance, telehealth, patient education and clinical workforce training, comprehensive models and strategies, and clinical guidelines, protocols, and bundles 1.
- Two thirds of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, with patient and health system factors noted as being associated with these deaths 1.
However, it's essential to note that the provided evidence primarily focuses on the United States, and direct data on Canada is limited in the given studies. Therefore, the answer is based on the example provided and general knowledge of the topic, prioritizing the outcome of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life.
From the Research
Maternal Mortality in Canada
- The provided studies do not directly report the number of people who die from complications of pregnancy yearly in Canada 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- However, a study on mortality, life, and health expectancy of Canadian women found that maternal mortality is one of the sex-specific causes of death that contributes to the sex gap in mortality and life expectancy 6.
- The study suggests that excluding preventable causes of death, such as smoking-related and injuries, reduces the sex gap in life expectancies from approximately 5.5 years to 2.2 years 6.
- Another study on pre-eclampsia reports that it is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, but does not provide specific data for Canada 5.
- A study on placental abruption found that it is a serious pregnancy complication that causes maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, but does not provide Canadian-specific data on maternal mortality 3, 4.
Pregnancy-Related Complications
- Pre-eclampsia is a multisystem pregnancy disorder characterized by variable degrees of placental malperfusion, which can cause maternal vascular endothelial injury, hypertension, and multi-organ injury 5.
- Placental abruption is a serious pregnancy complication that can cause maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, and its associated risk factors remain incompletely understood and somewhat controversial 3, 4.
- Women with preeclampsia experiencing placental abruption had worse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes compared to women experiencing placental abruption alone 4.