ABSTRACT
Maternal mortality rate. The number of deaths of women while pregnant or within 42 days of abortion or delivery per 100,000 births. Since 1952 all deaths have been investigated by the Confidential Enquiry, and the rate has halved every decade to the present level of 8.6 per 100,000. Whilst in 1952 this comprised 4% of all female deaths, it now comprises 0.7%.
