Definition: Maternal death

Category: United Nations terminology

A maternal death is the death of woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental causes. Maternal deaths should be divided into two groups: Direct obstetric deaths and indirect obstetric deaths http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/ICD-10_2nd_ed_volume2.pdf