Epidemiological and Maternal Features of Maternal Mortality in the West of Iran: Hamadan, 2011-2019

Background: Maternal mortality is an important public health problem that is perceived as a sensitive indicator of socioeconomic status and healthcare services. Objective: This study aims to describe the epidemiological features of maternal mortality in Hamadan province in western Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 maternal deaths that occurred in all hospitals and delivery places in the Hamadan province from March 2011 to January 2019 were studied for epidemiological features and the history of pregnancy care prior to the maternal death was also analyzed. The extracted data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Stata software version 14. Results: Our findings show that the mortality due to pregnancy and childbirth was 18.07 per 100,000 live birth. The majority of maternal death occurred in women aged 20- 34 years living in urban areas who were mostly housewives. Kabudrahang and Razan towns had the highest maternal mortality rate. Conclusion: The present study revealed that maternal mortality is higher among women aged 20-34 years (mainly housewives) living in urban areas. Cesarean delivery, having a history of abortion, and gestational age under 37 weeks were other factors associated with maternal death. Therefore, it is suggested to direct the focus of pregnancy care and training programs on these high-risk groups.