Severe maternal outcomes and their predictors among Pakistani women in the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health.

Objective: To determine the incidence of, and the demographic and obstetric factors associated with, severe maternal outcome (SMO) among women presenting at healthcare facilities in Pakistan.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 healthcare facilities across Pakistan that had been selected for the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn health. The hospital records of women who delivered at a participating facility or were admitted with SMO (defined as maternal death or near miss) within 7 days of delivery/abortion were reviewed for a period of 2-3 months in 2011.