MBRRACE-UK has released its annual report: Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care report for 2021, which details lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2017-19
“Maternal suicide remains leading cause of death occurring within a year of the end of pregnancy.”
"Pregnancy remains very safe in the UK. In 2017-2019 191 women, of the 2,173,810 giving birth, died during or up to six weeks after pregnancy; 495 during or up to one year after their pregnancy. This is a small, but not statistically significant, decrease in the overall maternal death rate. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, followed by epilepsy and stroke. Sepsis and thrombosis and thromboembolism (blood clots) are the third and fourth most common causes of maternal death during or up to six weeks after the end of pregnancy. The maternal death rate from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia continues to be low but remains higher than the lowest rate, in 2012-14. Cancer is the most frequent cause of death for women between six weeks and a year after the end of pregnancy. Maternal suicide remains the leading direct (pregnancy-related) cause of death over the first year after pregnancy."
The report also finds; "a continued gap between the mortality rates for women from Black, Asian, mixed and white Black and Asian women have a higher risk of dying in pregnancy White women 7/100,000 Asian women 12/100,000 Mixed ethnicity women 15/100,000 Black women 32/100,000 Remember risk is dynamic 2 MBRRACE-UK - Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care 2021 - Lay Summary 2x 2x 4x ethnic groups, with women from Black ethnic groups four times more likely to die than women from White groups. Women from Asian ethnic backgrounds are almost twice as likely to die in pregnancy compared to White women." Read More
Prof Jenny Kurinczuk Professor of Perinatal Epidemiology, Director, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), and National Programme Lead, MBRRACE-UK/PMRT, will speak at our forthcoming Improving Perinatal Mental Health Services conference on learning from suicides after a pregnancy or postnatal loss, or after removal of their infant into care, and identifying warning signs and red flags.