Maternal near miss

Maternal near miss (MNM) refers to a situation where a woman nearly dies but survives a complication that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined MNM as “a woman who nearly died but survived a complication that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy”.

Definition

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a maternal near miss as a woman who nearly died but survived a complication that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The concept of maternal near miss is based on the idea that women who survive life-threatening conditions have experienced a near-miss event.

Criteria

The WHO has established criteria for identifying maternal near misses. These include clinical criteria, such as the woman being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and management-based criteria, such as the use of blood products.

Epidemiology

The incidence of maternal near misses varies widely around the world, with higher rates in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO estimates that for every woman who dies in childbirth, 20 or 30 experience complications that can be classified as a maternal near miss.

Significance

The study of maternal near misses can provide valuable information about the quality of obstetric care and help identify areas for improvement. It can also provide insights into the causes of maternal mortality and morbidity.

See also

• Maternal mortality
• Obstetric transition
• Obstetric hemorrhage
• Eclampsia

External links

• WHO: Evaluating the quality of care for severe pregnancy complications: the WHO near-miss approach for maternal health

Further reading

• Say L, Souza JP, Pattinson RC (April 2009). "Maternal near miss--towards a standard tool for monitoring quality of maternal health care". Best Practice & Research. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 23 (3): 287–96. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2009.01.007. PMID 19303368.
• Pattinson RC, Hall M (September 2003). "Near misses: a useful adjunct to maternal death enquiries". British Medical Bulletin. 67: 231–43. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldg007. PMID 14711764.