Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the ratio of the number of pregnant women who die during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time-period. That is usually a calendar year.A maternal death refers to a female death from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy.
In general, global maternal mortality is unacceptably high. About 800 women die from pregnancy, or childbirth-related complications, around the world every day. In 2010, 287,000 women died. Almost all of these pregnancy deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented.
Like infant mortality ratio, a good MMR is under ten and is seen in more developed countries. The best in the world is Estonia, where it's two, ie two women die every year for every 100,000 pregnancies that Estonia has. In Italy it's four; the UK, 12; Croatia 17; and the worst of the developed countries, as is usual where health is concerned, is the USA with an MMR of 21.
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