Maternal mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico: a preliminary analysis during the first year.

Background: In Mexico, the COVID-19 pandemic led to preventative measures such as confinement and social interaction limitations that paradoxically may have aggravated healthcare access disparities for pregnant women and accentuated health system weaknesses addressing high-risk patients' pregnancies. Our objective is to estimate the maternal mortality ratio in 1 year and analyze the clinical course of pregnant women hospitalized due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective surveillance study of the national maternal mortality was performed from February 2020-February 2021 in Mexico related to COVID-19 cases in pregnant women, including their outcomes.