Maternal deaths in Australia

Walters, William AW; Ford, Jane B; Sullivan, Elizabeth A; King, James F

Topics

The latest triennial review of maternal deaths showed a rise in the maternal death ratio. Whether this represents a new trend or just a statistical fluctuation remains to be seen.

The Report on maternal deaths in Australia, 1994–961 was released in September 2001. It is the eleventh in a series of triennial reports that detail maternal deaths in a case summary format. The principal aim of the Report is to improve the quality and safety of healthcare during pregnancy and the puerperium through the education of obstetric practitioners.

1 Discipline of Reproductive Medicine, University of Newcastle, NSW.
2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Perinatal Statistics Unit, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW.
3 Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.

Correspondence: kim.roderick@newcastle.edu.au

1. National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Report on maternal deaths in Australia, 1994-1996. Canberra: NHMRC and AIHW, 2001.
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6. World Health Organization. Maternal mortality in 1995: estimates developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2001.

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