BackgroundFalling numbers of maternal deaths have stimulated an interest in investigating cases of life threatening obstetric morbidity or near miss. The purpose of this study was to document the frequency and causes of near miss and maternal deaths in four hospitals in West Java, Indonesia.MethodsCross sectional study in four hospitals in two districts in Banten province, Indonesia. We reviewed registers and case notes to identify the numbers and causes of near miss and death between November 2003 and October 2004. Near miss cases were defined based on organ dysfunction, clinical and management criteria. Near miss were categorized by whether or not the woman was at a critical state at admission by reviewing the final signs at admission.ResultsThe prevalence of near miss was much greater in public than in private hospitals (17.3% versus 4.2%, p = 0.000). Hemorrhage and hypertensive diseases were the most common diagnoses associated with near miss, and vascular dysfunction was the most common criterion of organ dysfunction. The occurrence of maternal deaths was 1.6%, with non-obstetric complications as the leading cause. The majority (70.7%) of near miss in public hospitals were in a critical state at admission but this proportion was much lower in private hospitals (31.9%).ConclusionThis is the first study to document near miss in public and private hospitals in Indonesia. Close to a fifth of admissions in public hospitals were associated with near miss; and the critical state in which the women arrived suggest important delays in reaching the hospitals. Even though the private sector takes an increasingly larger share of facility-based births in Indonesia, managing obstetric emergencies remains the domain of the public sector.

Objective We introduce a new and untested approach for the measurement of life-threatening maternal morbidity in populations where not all women give birth in a health facility. By defining complications at the very extreme end of the severity spectrum, we postulate that its count in hospitals can be used to represent the incidence in the general population.Design We counted all cases of life-threatening obstetric morbidity in hospitals and all maternal deaths in the population. Using these data, we describe the incidence of life-threatening morbidity in the total population, examine its variation across geographical areas and investigate its relationship with maternal mortality.Setting Serang and Pandeglang district in West Java, Indonesia.Population or sample All women residing in the two districts.Methods Cross-sectional study of maternal morbidity and mortality.Main outcome measures Pregnancy-related illness and mortality (PRIAM), consisting of life-threatening maternal morbidity (defined using the concepts of near miss and met need for life-saving surgery) and maternal mortality.Results The incidence of maternal mortality and life-threatening complications at the population level was 421 and 1416 per 100 000 births, respectively, resulting in an overall ratio of PRIAM of 1837 per 100 000. The overall incidence of PRIAM was much lower in rural than in urban areas (1529 and 2880 per 100 000, respectively, P < 0.001), and it was lowest in rural Serang (1304 per 100 000).Conclusions The approach tested in this study-relying on conditions that are 'absolutely' life-threatening such that their count in hospitals can be used to represent the incidence in the general population-is promising but needs further testing in populations with varied disease epidemiology and access to care. Continued investments in hospital-based audits of life-threatening morbidity may ultimately improve the quality and reliability of information on obstetric complications and facilitate the development of rigorous and standard criteria for the definition of life-threatening morbidity.

Background The Government of Indonesia is determined to follow global commitments to reduce the neonatal mortality rate. Yet, there is a paucity of information on contributing factors and causes of neonatal deaths, particularly at the sub-national level. This study describes care-seeking during neonates’ fatal illnesses and their causes of death. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional community-based study to identify all neonatal deaths in Serang and Jember Districts, Indonesia. Follow-up interviews were conducted with the families of deceased neonates using an adapted verbal and social autopsy instrument. Cause of death was determined using the InSilicoVA algorithm. Results The main causes of death of 259 neonates were prematurity (44%) and intrapartum-related events (IPRE)-mainly birth asphyxia (39%). About 83% and 74% of the 259 neonates were born and died at a health facility, respectively; 79% died within the first week after birth. Of 70 neonates whose fatal illness began at home, 59 (84%) sought care during the fatal illness. Forty-eight of those 59 neonates went to a formal care provider; 36 of those 48 neonates (75%) were moderately or severely ill when the family decided to seek care. One hundred fifteen of 189 neonates (61%) whose fatal illnesses began at health facilities were born at a hospital. Among those 115, only 24 (21%) left the hospital alive–of whom 16 (67%) were referred by the hospital. Conclusions The high proportion of deaths due to prematurity and IPRE suggests the need for improved management of small and asphyxiated newborns. The moderate to severe condition of neonates at the time when care was sought from home highlights the importance of early illness recognition and appropriate management for sick neonates. Among deceased neonates whose fatal illness began at their delivery hospital, the high proportion of referrals may indicate issues with hospital capability, capacity, and/or cost.

Background Three-quarters of births in Indonesia occur in a health facility, yet the neonatal mortality rate remains high at 15 per 1000 live births. The Pathway to Survival (P-to-S) framework of steps needed to return sick neonates and young children to health focuses on caregiver recognition of and care-seeking for severe illness. In view of increased institutional delivery in Indonesia and other low- and middle-income countries, a modified P-to-S is needed to assess the role of maternal complications in neonatal survival. Methods We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional verbal and social autopsy study of all neonatal deaths from June through December 2018, identified by a proven listing method in two districts of Java, Indonesia. We examined care-seeking for maternal complications, delivery place, and place and timing of neonatal illness onset and death. Results The fatal illnesses of 189/259 (73%) neonates began in their delivery facility (DF), 114/189 (60%) of whom died before discharge. Mothers whose neonate’s illness started at their delivery hospital and lower-level DF were more than six times (odds ratio (OR) = 6.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.4-12.5) and twice (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.01-4.02) as likely to experience a maternal complication as those whose neonates fell fatally ill in the community, and illness started earlier (mean = 0.3 vs 3.6 days; P < 0.001) and death came sooner (3.5 vs 5.3 days; P = 0.06) to neonates whose illness started at any DF. Despite going to the same number of providers/facilities, women with a labour and delivery (L/D) complication who sought care from at least one other provider or facility on route to their DF took longer than those without a complication to reach their DF (median = 3.3 vs 1.3 hours; P = 0.01). Conclusions Neonates’ fatal illness onset in their DF was strongly associated with maternal complications. Mothers with a L/D complication experienced delays in reaching their DF, and nearly half the neonatal deaths occurred in association with a complication, suggesting that mothers with complications first seeking care at a hospital providing emergency maternal and neonatal care might have prevented some deaths. A modified P-to-S highlights the importance of rapid access to quality institutional delivery care in settings where many births occur in facilities and/or there is good care-seeking for L/D complications.

Background Despite the increased access to facility-based delivery in Indonesia, the country’s maternal mortality remains unacceptably high. Reducing maternal mortality requires a good understanding of the care-seeking pathways for maternal complications, especially with the government moving toward universal health coverage. This study examined care-seeking practices and health insurance in instances of pregnancy-related deaths in Jember District, East Java, Indonesia. Methods This was a community-based cross-sectional study to identify all pregnancy-related deaths in the district from January 2017 to December 2018. Follow-up verbal and social autopsy interviews were conducted to collect information on care-seeking behavior, health insurance, causes of death, and other factors. Findings Among 103 pregnancy-related deaths, 40% occurred after 24 hours postpartum, 36% during delivery or within the first 24 hours postpartum, and 24% occurred while pregnant. The leading causes of deaths were hemorrhage (38.8%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (20.4%), and sepsis (16.5%). Most deaths occurred in health facilities (81.6%), primarily hospitals (74.8%). Nearly all the deceased sought care from a formal health provider during their fatal illness (93.2%). Seeking any care from an informal provider during the fatal illness was more likely among women who died after 24 hours postpartum (41.0%, OR 7.4, 95% CI 1.9, 28.5, p = 0.049) or during pregnancy (29.2%, OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.0, 19.2, p = 0.003) than among those who died during delivery or within 24 hours postpartum (8.6%). There was no difference in care-seeking patterns between insured and uninsured groups. Conclusions The fact that women sought care and reached health facilities regardless of their insurance status provides opportunities to prevent deaths by ensuring that every woman receives timely and quality care. Accordingly, the increasing demand should be met with balanced readiness of both primary care and hospitals to provide quality care, supported by an effective referral system.