Violent deaths of pregnant women in Egyptian governorates of Cairo and Giza

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy-associated deaths are a widely recognized phenomenon, that warrants in-depth investigation. Of the 319 suspicious deaths of adult women (>20 years) autopsied during 2011–2012, in the Cairo and Giza governorates, 37 (11.7%) women were pregnant at the time of the autopsy. This paper analyzes the corresponding demographic data, autopsy findings, and toxicological screening. The results: Reveal that the number of deaths of pregnant women were higher in 2012 than in 2011. In addition, the number of cases from Giza exceeded those from Cairo (62.2% and 37.8%, respectively). Most cases involved married women (62.2%) in the third trimester of pregnancy (67.5%). Most deaths were predominantly un-intentional (51.4%) attributed to peri-partum complications. Homicidal deaths contributed to 43% of cases, and the husband was the suspect perpetrator in 37.5% of cases. Only two cases were associated with substance abuse. Conclusion: the paper concludes that this analysis may inform future strategies to protect pregnant women from the hazards of violence and labor that threaten their lives.