December 9, 2014

MBRRACE-UK: Report into maternal deaths

Whilst rates of maternal deaths in the UK have been declining over the last ten years, there are still around 80 deaths during or after childbirth each year and in the majority of cases these women had pre-existing medical or mental health conditions. Ensuring pregnant women receive flu jabs and closer monitoring for sepsis after birth could reduce the number of deaths.

This will be the 60^th consecutive year in which maternal deaths are reviewed through the MBRRACE-UK programme (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK), led from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford.

Experts came to the SMC to hear the findings of the researchers and discuss issues such as:

• What is actually killing these women?
• How do rates of morality compare to previous years?
• Why are there still so many preventable deaths?
• What needs to be done to reduce the numbers of deaths? Do we need better public health messages or changes in clinical practice?

Speakers:

Prof Marian Knight, Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford

Prof Jennifer Kurinczuk, Professor of Perinatal Epidemiology, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford