Maternal death is defined as "The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes."

From Wikipedia Maternal death

The world mortality rate has declined 45% since 1990, but still 800 women die every day from pregnancy or childbirth related causes. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) this is equivalent to “about one woman every two minutes and for every woman who dies, 20 or 30 encounter complications with serious or long-lasting consequences. Most of these deaths and injuries are entirely preventable.”

UNFPA estimated that 289,000 women died of pregnancy or childbirth related causes in 2013. These causes range from severe bleeding to obstructed labour, all of which have highly effective interventions. As women have gained access to family planning and skilled birth attendance with backup emergency obstetric care, the global maternal mortality ratio has fallen from 380 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 210 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013. This has resulted in many countries halving their maternal death rates.

While there has been a decline in world-wide mortality rates, much more has to be done. High rates still exist, particularly in impoverished communities with over 85% living in Africa and Southern Asia.

The effect of a mother’s death results in vulnerable families and their infants, if they survive childbirth, are more likely to die before reaching their second birthday.

Unsafe abortion is another major cause of maternal death. According to the World Health Organization, every eight minutes a woman dies from complications arising from unsafe abortions. Complications include hemorrhage, infection, sepsis and genital trauma. Globally, preventable deaths from improperly performed procedures constitute 13% of maternal mortality, and 25% or more in some countries where maternal mortality from other causes is relatively low, making unsafe abortion the leading single cause of maternal mortality worldwide.

Notables

from Famous women who died in childbirth

• 1. Agafya Grushetskaya. 1681
• 2. Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia. Died at 21 (1870-1891). Wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.
• 3. Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia. Died at 18 (1783-1801). Archduchess of Austria as wife of Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary
• 4. Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt. Died at 23 (1861-1884). First wife of Theodore Roosevelt.
• 5. Alix, Duchess of Brittany Died at 20 (1201-1221). Duchess of Brittany
• 6. Anna Charlotta Schreiderhiem. Salonist and socialite
• 7. Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia. Died at 28 (1718-1746). Regent of Russia and mother of Ivan VI of Russia
• 8. Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia. Died at 20 (1708-1728). Daughter of Catherine I of Russia and mother of Peter III of Russia.
• 9. Anna von Schweidnitz. Died at 23 (1339-1362) Third wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
• 10. Barbara Zápolya. Died at 20 (1495-1515). Queen of Poland
• 11. Blanche of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany. Died at 57 (1226-1283). Wife of the future King Sancho III of Castile
• 12. Carin du Rietz. Died at 22 (1766-1788). Adventurer
• 13. Catherine Parr. Died at 36 (1512-1548). Sixth Wife Henry VIII of England
• 14. Cecilia Mettler. Died at 34 (1909-1943). Medical historian
• 15. Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Died at 21 (1694-1715). Wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia
• 16. Christiana Oxenstierna. Noble
• 17. Eleanor de Montfort. Died at 30 (1252-1282). Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon
• 18. Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg. The spouse of the king
• 19. Elisabeth of Valois. Died at 23 (1545-1568). Third wife of Philip II of Spain
• 20. Elizabeth of York. Died at 37 (1466-1503). Queen of Henry VII of England and mother of Henry VIII
• 21. Emilia Uggla. Pianist
• 22. Emilie Hammarskjold. Composer, musician, member of the Royal Swedish academy of Music
• 23. Gabrielle d'Estrées. Died at 26 (1573-1599). Mistress of the French King, died following eclampsia
• 24. Galla. Wife of Theodosius I.
• 25. Gianna Beretta Molla. Died at 40 (1922-1962). Pediatrician who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004.
• 26. Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna of Russia. First daughter in law of Catherine II of Russia
• 27. Hedvig Taube. Died at 30 (1714-1744). Royal mistress, salonist
• 28. Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain. First wife of Louis, Dauphin of France
• 29. Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden. Died at 42 (1212-1254). Princess and the mother of the king
• 30. Isabella Beeton. Died at 29 (1836-1865)
• 31. Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugal. Died at 28 (1470-1498). Married Afonso of Portugal and Manuel I of Portugal
• 32. Isabella of Mar. Died at 19 (1277-1296). First wife of Robert I of Scotland, after delivering Marjorie Bruce, who also died in childbirth
• 33. Jadwiga of Poland. Died at 26 (1373-1399). Monarch of Poland
• 34. Jane Seymour. Died at 29 (1508-1537). Third wife of Henry VIII of England and mother of Edward VI
• 35. Judith of Habsburg. Queen of Bohemia
• 36. Julia. Died at 38 (5-43). Daughter of Julius Caesar
• 37. Kalanipauahi. Died at 22 (1804-1826). Hawaiian queen consort/princess and a member of the House of Kamehameha
• 38. Louise Diane d'Orléans. Died at 20 (1716-1736). Princesse de Conti, youngest daughter of Philippe d'Orleans, Regent of France
• 39. Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway. Died at 22 (1261-1283). Queen of Norway
• 40. Margravine Auguste Marie Johanna of Baden-Baden. Paternal great-grandmother of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French
• 41. Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. Died at 55 (1610-1665). Archduchess of Austria
• 42. Maria Leopoldina of Austria. Died at 29 (1797-1826). Mother of Maria II of Portugal and Emperor Pedro II of Brazil
• 43. Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain. Died at 20 (1726-1746). Duchesse de Penthrivre and maternal grandmother of Louis-Philippe I
• 44. Marietta Robusti. Died at 30 (1560-1590). 16th century artist and daughter of the artist Jacopo Tintoretto
• 45. Marjorie Bruce. Died at 20 (1296-1316). After delivering the future Robert II of Scotland
• 46. Marjorie Oelrichs. Died at 29 (1908-1937). Socialite
• 47. Mary de Bohun. Died at 26 (1368-1394) First wife of Henry IV of England and mother of Henry V
• 48. Mary Wollstonecraft. Died at 38 (1759-1797) Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and mother of Mary Shelley
• 49. Meketaten. Daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti.
• 50. Arjumand Banu. Wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Her memorial is the Taj Mahal
• 51. Matriarch Rachel / רחל אמנו

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resources

• Maternal mortality
• List of women who died in childbirth

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