What is maternal morbidity statistic?

[jean]

Does anyone know what the maternal morbidity statistic is? I found a site that says it is up to 25%, but for one thing, it is an old article, and secondly, what does "up to" mean? Most statistics I see are just a blantant number. (A person would assume that it's only an "X" amount chance that it would happen)

And then of the statistical number, does anyone know if most of the deaths are due to HELLP not being diagnosed and treated? I guess my real question is, I wonder what the morbidity rate is for people that are dignosed with it.

[catherine]

Morbidity in epidemiologic terms means instance/severity of complications. Overall, mortality rates in the US are very low because the life-threatening complications associated with pre-eclampsia can be managed. That said sometime a medical situation just cannot be managed, even with access to transplant organs etc.

[l412angel]

I think like you said you have to take into consideration the type of care people are getting.

[jules2]

Hi Jean,

I think you mean mortality (deaths) not morbidity. IIRC, in the UK where detailed enquiries into maternal morbidity have been carried out, about 7-10 women die annually due to PE/HELLP and in about half of these cases there were some failings in their case.

So the death rate really is very very low [but I'm totally paranoid about these risks now too, that's why I've been reading all the UK's mortality statistics and know this kind of stuff!]

[jules2]

I meant failings in their "care" not "case"

[jean]

Yes, I meant mortality-thank you for the correction! And thank you for the information as well!
I heard that someone died of HELLP in the last year at my local hospital, and that scared me too. :~(

[jean]

Jules2, you mentioned about 7-10 ppl die annually in the UK...do you know out of how many HELLP cases that was?

Yeah, I guess the article I read said "mortality and morbidity rates" can be up to 25%.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/990901ap/829.html

That scared me a TON..

[jules2]

I don't know exactly Jean, I've not found any data on that, but there are over 700,000 maternities annually in the UK. And maybe severe PE/HELLP is around 0.5% to 1% of all pregnancies so maybe about 7000?

It scares me too but I tell myself the biggest risk was in my first pregnancy because it happened early and no-one was expecting it - at least if I do get pregnant again I will be closely monitored and aware of the symptoms myself. I think I'm statistically still at greater risk of dying in a road traffic accident getting to the hospital for all the extra appointments I would need during pregnancy than from pregnancy itself :-)

[jean]

You think so? That would sure make me feel better. I guess it just really scares me that someone died of HELLP in the hospital here (there is a population of about 107,000 in my town-so not huge..not teeny though either).
I guess I feel like I have a little more control in a car accident (maybe not necessarily, but possibly) than I do in HELLP after I'm already pg.