Quality of life 1 year after a maternal near‐miss event

Abstract

OBJECTIVES : To evaluate quality of life (QoL) parameters among women categorized with a maternal near‐miss during pregnancy. METHODS : The present prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital in South Africa between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016. Patients who experienced maternal near‐miss events were included and patients with uncomplicated low‐risk pregnancies were enrolled as a control group. Various parameters were assessed using a WHO QoL questionnaire. RESULTS : The maternal near‐miss and uncomplicated low‐risk pregnancy (control) groups comprised 95 and 51 women. The maternal near‐miss group scored lower than the control group in all four domains of the questionnaire (P<0.001). Overall, 42 (82%) women in the control group and 41 (43%) women in the maternal near‐miss group desired future fertility (P<0.001). Women in the maternal near‐miss group who had experienced perinatal loss scored lower in the physical health and well‐being (P=0.009), psychological health and well‐being (P=0.007), and environment (P=0.031) domains compared with women in the maternal near‐miss group who experienced a live delivery. Nonetheless, QoL scores among women in the maternal near‐miss group who had experienced perinatal loss remained lower than those reported by women in the control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION : A maternal near‐miss event during pregnancy was associated with reduced QoL, especially among women who had experienced perinatal loss.