Bulletin of the World Health Organization

A comprehensive assessment of maternal deaths in Argentina: translating multicentre collaborative research into action

Silvina Ramos, Ariel Karolinski, Mariana Romero, Raúl Mercer

Volume 85, Number 8, August 2007, 615-622

Table 3. Clinical and statistically significant risk factors for maternal death

Risk factor Frequency
 OR 95% CI P-value
Cases Controls
Characteristics of hospital providing initial care
Availability of essential obstetric care: 8.00 1.00–63.96 0.050
No 8 1
Yes 74 83
Number of deliveries/year: 9.00 2.09–38.79 0.003
< 1500 deliveries/year 58 3
⩾ 1500 deliveries/year 19 80
Obstetrics-gynaecology specialist on 24-hour active duty: 8.00 1.84–34.79 0.006
No 18 4
Yes 60 80
Characteristics of hospital where death or complications occurred
Availability of essential obstetric care: 16.00 2.12–120.65 0.007
No 16 1
Yes 68 83
Number of deliveries/year: 5.00 1.09–22.82 0.038
< 1500 10 3
⩾ 1500 60 79
Obstetrics-gynaecology specialist on 24-hour active duty: 22.00 2.96–163.21 0.003
No 25 4
Yes 57 80
Delivery of care
Length of hospitalization (days): 3.86 1.68–8.86 0.001
> 5 56 31
1–5 23 42
Characteristics of attending staff
Presence of residency programme: 5.50 1.22–24.81 0.027
No 11 2
Yes 73 82
Biological and social characteristics
Age > 19 years: 4.67 1.34–16.24 0.015
> 19 76 65
15–19 8 19
Age ⩾ 35 years: 2.22 1.01–4.88 0.047
⩾ 35 26 15
< 35 58 69
Previous gestations: 2.18 1.07–4.45 0.032
⩾ 4 38 23
0–3 43 56

CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.