Trends of in-hospital maternal mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Morocco – analysis of a time series from 2016–2022

Keltouma Oumbarek
ID
Rachid Razine
ID
Abdelmajid Lkoul
ID
Safiya Mahlaq
ID
Samia El Hilali
ID
Laila Lahlou
ID
Mohamed Amine Baba
ID
Ahmed Kharbach
ID
Email src
Majdouline Obtel
ID
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Laboratory of Health and Science, Therapeutic Innovation, Translational Research, and Epidemiology. Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco
Laboratory REGNE “Rein Endocrinology Gastroenterology Neurosciences Ethics”, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Agadir, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Received: 17 March 2024 / Revised: 1 June 2024 / Accepted: 6 June 2024 / Published: 30 December 2024

Abstract

Introduction and aim. The aim of this study was to compare trends of in-hospital maternal mortality in southern Morocco be fore and after the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the Kingdom in March 2020.

Material and methods. We conducted a retrospective study of a time series of hospital maternal deaths from January 2016 to December 2022. Data were collected from maternal death registers and monthly reports from maternity departments of six public hospitals in Souss Massa region (one regional and five provincial hospitals).

Results. 216 maternal deaths occurred during the study period, 112 before and 104 during the pandemic. The highest annual maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was observed in 2021 (207.41 deaths/100,000 live births). Trends of monthly MMR showed a significant increase during the pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period (p=0.002). Furthermore, an extremely high MMR value (977.57/100,000 live births) was noted in August 2021 (the Delta wave). There was a significant difference in the distribution of causes of maternal death. Proportion of indirect causes were tripled during the pandemic (from 8% to 24%), with 17/104 (16.3%) deaths related to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Conclusion. In-hospital MMR increased in public hospitals of the Souss Massa region during the COVID-19 pandemic, particu larly in the third quarter of 2021.

 

Cite

Oumbarek K, Razine R, Lkoul A, Mahlaq S, El Hilali S, Lahlou L et al. Trends of in-hospital maternal mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Morocco – analysis of a time series from 2016–2022. Eur J Clin Exp Med. 2024;22(4):739–747. doi: 10.15584/ej cem.2024.4.8.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited