Severe maternal morbidity in the microregion of Barbacena, Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Abstract Background Complications during pregnancy, birth, and puerperium add up to the tenth death cause among women, and constitute a public health problem in developing countries. Objective The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with severe maternal morbidity in the microregion of Barbacena, Minas Gerais state, Brazil from February to August 2014. Methods This is a case-control study where all puerperal women who met at least one criterion of morbidity were selected as case, whereas those who did not present any complications were considered as control. The factors associated with morbidity were analyzed using the logistic regression model at 5% significance level. Results The study assessed 276 women, of which 92 were cases and 184 were controls. In the multivariate analysis of the final logistic regression model, the variables that persisted were past medical history of high blood pressure (OR=20.8; CI 95%: 6.4-67.4), prematurity (OR=7.5; CI 95%: 3.8-14.8), and caesarean section (OR=3.4; CI 95%: 1.69-6.76). Conclusions A strong correlation was found between the variables investigated and the occurrence of adverse events, accentuating the importance of early identification of risk factors for maternal morbidity and establishment of preventive strategies.