Universal access to safe caesarean section is vital. The objective of this thesis was to quantify the risks of maternal and neonatal mortality, and causes of caesarean-related deaths.
Our initial systematic overview of pre-existing meta-analyses found no interventions that significantly reduced the risk of all-cause maternal or neonatal mortality. However, many interventions have been understudied.
Our systematic review and meta-analysis of 196 studies identified that the risk of perioperative maternal mortality has decreased over time and according to country development index, and the risk of perioperative neonatal mortality has fluctuated. We also found that the proportion of reported causes of caesarean-related deaths due to pregnancy-related infection and non-obstetric complications have decreased while obstetric haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders have increased over the past 70 years. Initiatives to reduce perioperative neonatal mortality and caesarean-related deaths due to obstetric haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders should be a global priority
