Depression and obesity are major causes of maternal death in Britain
BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7476.1205 (Published 18 November 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:1205- Madeleine Brettingham
- London
Depression and obesity are now the major causes of deaths related to pregnancy among women in the United Kingdom, a report published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said last week. Although numbers of deaths as a result of direct physiological complications such as thromboembolism have fallen broadly, indirect psychological and lifestyle factors continue to pose a significant risk.
The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Death assessed 391 deaths over a period of three years, from 2000 to 2002, to arrive at its findings. “There has been a vast reduction in the number of direct obstetric complications, and that shows a great improvement in medical science,” said Richard Congdon, …
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