More sections compared to death in childbirth

[Pagan]

Given all the controversy about the increasing number of c/s these days I just wondered if there were any comparative statistics for how many women die in labour now. It seems that it is very rare nowadays but was more common 'back then'!

Any thoughts, facts, evidence?

There's a report published every few years (every 3 years I think) which used to be called "Why Mothers Die" which detailed every maternal death in the UK and analysed if anything could have been done. The latest one apparently showed that suicide was the most common cause of death as medical causes have fallen so much.

the Confidential Enquiry on Maternal Deaths analyses all maternal deaths and tracks progress over time (think you'll find it through the RCOG website). Undoubtedly caesarean section saves lives, but the biggest contribution was probably our ability to prevent and deal with infection. Then there's women's general improved health, fewer children etc.

I think sections are mostly about preventing baby deaths, IYSWIM. As dangerous as labour used to be for women, it was a lot more dangerous for babies.

in developing world where maternal mortality can be scarily high the main causes of death are obstructed labour (though this can result in just a fistula, where the tissues begin to rot - because of lack of blood supply - after the baby has died in utero), infection and post partum haemorrhage. oh and all the other things we get here like pre eclampsia (frequently escalating into eclampsia)

i know someone who died in childbirth but she had a high risk pregnancy (ending in c/s, the child survived)

I worked w/someone who died in childbirth back in the US after developing an extremely rare condition during birth in which her baby's blood mixed with her own. Her body then began attacking itself. There's a name for the condition, I can't recall it, but it was one of those things where it was honestly just a tragic fluke. Her baby was saved, but not her.