Maternal mortality is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42days of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the duration of 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.

Going by this definition, maternal mortality can be classified as:
Direct obstetric death: This results from obstetric complications from pregnancy, labour or afterbirth.
Indirect obstetric death: These results from previous existing diseases that developed
during pregnancy. (International classification of disease 9th Edition)
Deaths during or following pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth and induced abortion are all included as maternal deaths.

Maternal mortality was until the 20th century considered natural and part of a woman’s fate. The beginning of the 20th century gave rise to existing women’s organization and medical professionals actively involved in measures aimed at preventing maternal mortality.

Recent findings which painted a gloomy picture of maternal health profile in developing countries showed that a woman living in Sub-Saharan Africa has one in 16 chances of dying in pregnancy or childbirth. WHO, UNICEF and UNEPA the agencies
that carried out the research declared this comparing it with one in 2,800 risks for women from a developed region.
Of an estimated 529,000 maternal deaths in the year 2000, 95% occurred in Africa and Asia, while only 4% occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, and less than 1% in the more developed region of the world. (Guardian newspaper December 4 2003, pg. 36)

Experience from successful maternal health programs shows that much of this death and suffering could be avoided if all women had the assistance of a skilled health worker during pregnancy, delivery, and access to emergency medical care when complications arise.

Dr. Lee John Wook director-general of W.H.O. bearing his mind on maternal mortality expressed thus:
“Many women deliver their children along or with family members untrained attendants who lack skills to deal with complication during delivery”
Therefore only skilled attendants are in a position to recognize medical crises and provide life saving care when complications arise.

Reducing maternal mortality is a key factor that ensures survival for children through adolescence stage. Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is marked by profound physical, mental and social changes. The word adolescent stands for boyish, girlish, growing teenage, young adults, youthful, youngster or teenage (Collins Concise Dictionary and Thesaurus 1995, pg. 14)



The World Health Organization defined Adolescents as those between 1 and 19yrs. The WHO has defined Adolescents as

 Progression from appearance of secondary sex characteristics (Puberty) to sexual reproductive maturity.
 Development of adult, mental processes and adult mentality.
 Transition from total socio-economic dependence to relative independence.
(Population reports 1995, pg. 3)
Going by their characteristics, they are a vulnerable age group. At this stage vulnerability to social vices, peers pressure e.t.c. may be inevitable. This is by virtue of them encountering numerous psychological social and economic obstacles. These when overlooked or not adequately addressed results in constituting handicapped adolescesents and may eventually lead them into prostitution, armed robbery and thuggery e.t.c. to meet their needs.
As earlier noted adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood. Apparently, survival through the adolescent’s period is very essiential.This period to a very large extent determines adulthood. As a result requires strict guidance. At this stage adequate maternal support is very vital in the live of every child.

When a mother dies leaving her child behind the issue of maternal support arises. How much external assistance can guarantee such child a safe tread through adolescence?
All adolescents need this support. Maternal support would serve as guidance ultimately helping a child survive and thrive through the adolescence stage. Absence of this becomes a challenge, a challenge for unprepared adolescents whose response will affect the rest of their lives.

Suffice to say at this stage that the general quality of women’s health and lives needs improvement from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood. This will enable women enter and survive pregnancy in good health and equally help reduce maternal mortality. Bearing in mind that reducing maternal mortality amongst other existing factors is one key factor in ensuring children survive and thrive through adolescence.

Esther Okhiade