In many developing countries, complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death among women of reproductive age. 1 Less than one percent of these deaths occur in developed countries, demonstrating that they could be avoided if resources and services were available. In addition to maternal death, women experience more than 50 million maternal health problems annually. Every woman can experience sudde n and unexpected complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and just after delivery. Although high-quality, ac cessible health care has made maternal death a rare event in developed countries, these complications can often be fatal in the developing world.
Women risk death and disability each time they become pregnant.
Women in developing countries face these risks much more often, since they bear many more children than women in the developed world. 4 A study in Bangladesh found that a mother's death sharply increased the probability that her children, up to age 10, will die within two years. This was especially true for her daughters. 4,6 Long-term complications can include chronic pain, impaired mobility, damage to the reproductive system and infertility. Most maternal complications and deaths occur either during or shortly after delivery.