Leading Cause of maternal deaths in India is?

NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2016

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Easy

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

Haemorrhage is the foremost direct cause of maternal mortality in India, accounting for approximately 38% of all such deaths.
The most frequent type is Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH), defined as blood loss of 500 mL or more within 24 hours after birth.
The leading cause of PPH is uterine atony, where the uterus fails to contract after delivery, leading to rapid and life-threatening blood loss.
Prompt recognition and management, including uterine massage, administration of uterotonic drugs, and fluid resuscitation, are critical to prevent mortality.

Option A: Anaemia is a major indirect cause of maternal death and a significant contributing factor, but it is not the leading direct cause. It worsens the mother's ability to survive other complications, especially haemorrhage.
Option C: Sepsis (puerperal infection) and complications from unsafe abortions are significant causes of maternal death in India, but their combined incidence is lower than that of haemorrhage. Data indicates sepsis accounts for about 11% and abortion for 8% of deaths.
Option D: Obstructed labour is a direct cause of maternal death, but it accounts for a smaller percentage (around 5%) compared to haemorrhage. Improved access to obstetric care, including Caesarean sections, has reduced deaths from this cause.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Causes of maternal mortality in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses are central to preventing death from PPH through Active Management of the Third Stage of Labour (AMTSL), which includes administering oxytocin, performing controlled cord traction, and uterine massage.
A nurse's ability to quickly assess for signs of PPH (e.g., a boggy, non-contracted uterus, heavy vaginal bleeding) and initiate emergency protocols is a life-saving skill.
What if? If a patient has known risk factors for PPH, such as a multiple gestation pregnancy or a history of PPH, the nurse's role includes ensuring prophylactic measures are in place, such as having two large-bore IV lines secured and blood products readily available.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question based on national health statistics (epidemiology).
Identify the core components of the question: 'leading cause', 'maternal deaths', and the specific location 'India'.
Recall the main direct obstetric causes of death: haemorrhage, sepsis, hypertensive disorders, obstructed labour, and abortion.
Compare the relative frequency of these causes. Epidemiological data consistently shows that haemorrhage is the most common cause of maternal death in India and many other developing countries.
Select the option that matches this established fact.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) pp. 59-61, 57-59