Maternal Deaths Double In Five Years, Obesity And Older Mothers To Blame

According to recent statistics recorded in The Lancet, the number of women who have died during childbirth has doubled in the last five years – with London having twice the mortality rate as the rest of the UK.

Between 2005 and 2011, maternal deaths rose from 10 deaths per every 100,000 women to 20. In London alone, there were 11 birth-related deaths in 2005, which shot up to 31 deaths in 2011.

So why are 21st century women, who have access to modern medicine and technology, still dying from childbirth complications?

According to lead researcher Dr Susan Bewley, professor of complex obstetrics at Kings College, the sharp increase in older mothers having IVF (a treatment that increases the number of multiple births and chance of complex pregnancies), soaring levels of obesity and the fact women are giving birth to more children than ever before in the UK, are all key factors behind these statistics.

Bewley claims that British maternity services are buckling under the pressure as birth rates soar. Births in London have increased by 27% in the last 10 years (from 106,000 in 2001 to 134,000 in 2011), but the numbers of midwives and obstetrics have stayed the same.

In many cases in London, labour and birth complications arose because the doctors were too junior to deal with the situation or not supervised, adds Bewley.

Talking about the statistics, Bewley told the Telegraph: "These are bald figures, there is a lot about them that we don't know. We do know that women are becoming pregnant when they are older and fatter, and have more complex health issues.

"It could be that hospitals in London are actually coping surprisingly well against greater odds, or it could mean there are problems with the services.”

Cathy Warwick, president of the Royal College of Midwives, told the Independent: "London still has some of the worst shortages of midwives across the country. There are more women facing more complex pregnancies creating a difficult situation. We need to target resources at women who need more support."

A tragic example of the UK's childbirth mortality crisis includes young mother, Sareena Ali, 27, who recently died with her baby following an emergency caesarean.

Ali from Essex was allegedly left unattended by midwives after being admitted to hospital for a planned induction. She later suffered a ruptured womb and cardiac arrest and died five days later.