Identifying maternal deaths with the use of hospital data versus death certificates: a retrospective population-based study

Abstract

Maternal death, although rare, is an often preventable event with devastating consequences for families and care providers. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300 000 women die each year from pregnancy-or childbirth-related complications. 1 The World Health Organization and the Public Health Agency of Canada reported a rise in maternal mortality in Canada between 1990 and 2015, from 5.1 to 11.9 per 100 000 live births. 2,3 These findings prompted the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada to work with federal and provincial partners to review maternal mortality surveillance. 4 The investigating committee found that national maternal health surveillance faced serious barriers relating to data access, coverage, timeliness and completeness. Moreover, they concluded that there was little standardization across jurisdictions with respect to definitions, data collection and maternal mortality review processes. 4,5 Although several provinces and