Principales causas de mortalidad materna y perinatal en el Ecuador: Una revisión sistemática

Abstract

Maternal and perinatal mortality are public health problems that affect different developing countries; one of them and the most important is Ecuador. The principal causes of maternal mortality were arterial hypertension during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, overweight, malnutrition, teenage mothers, toxic habits, and obstetric hemorrhaging during delivery, among others. The principal causes of perinatal mortalityare prematurity, neonatal asphyxia, or congenital malformations. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the principal causes of maternal and perinatal mortality in Ecuador. Sex education is considered necessary in populations with low educational levels since the pregnancy index grows in conditions of poverty, and this directly or indirectly triggers problems or conditions during the gestational period. To this end, some studies were evaluated from the digital bases of Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, SciELO, and ProQuest, published within the last five years. It was determined that the principal causes of maternal mortality arise in women who demonstrate low socioeconomic levels, inadequate nutrition, and —one of the most important— the lack of conception planning, which brings complications in childbirth, postpartum, and puerperium. There are cases in which they do not get to delivery, thus having one more maternal death in the country. This systematic review has allowed the identification of factors associated with maternal and perinatal mortality.

Keywords: maternity, mortality, perinatal.