Exploration of social factors associated to maternal deaths due to haemorrhage and convulsions: Analysis of 28 social autopsies in rural Bangladesh.
BACKGROUND
Social autopsy is an innovative approach to explore social barriers and factors associated to a death in the community. The process also sensitize the community people to avert future deaths. Social autopsy has been introduced in maternal deaths in Bangladesh first time in 2010. This study is to identify the social factors in the rural community associated to maternal deaths. It also looks at how the community responses in social autopsy intervention to prevent future maternal deaths.


METHODS
The study was conducted in the Thakurgaon district of Bangladesh in 2010. We have purposively selected 28 social autopsy cases of which maternal deaths occurred due to either haemorrhage or due to convulsions. The autopsy was conducted by the Government health and family planning first line field supervisors in rural community. Family members and neighbours of the deceased participated in each autopsy and provided their comments and responses.


RESULTS
A number of social factors including delivery conducted by the untrained birth attendant or family members, delays in understanding about maternal complications, delays in decision making to transfer the mother, lack of proper knowledge, education and traditional myth influences the maternal deaths. The community identified their own problems, shared within them and decide upon rectify themselves for future death prevention.


CONCLUSIONS
Social autopsy is a useful tools to identify social community within the community by discussing the factors that took place during a maternal death. The process supports villagers to think and change their behavioural patterns and commit towards preventing such deaths in the future.
['Biswas|Animesh|A|', 'Halim|M A|MA|', 'Dalal|Koustuv|K|', 'Rahman|Fazlur|F|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D001344:Autopsy D001459:Bangladesh D002423:Cause of Death D005260:Female D006470:Hemorrhage D006801:Humans D063130:Maternal Death D008428:Maternal Mortality D008875:Middle Aged D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage D011247:Pregnancy D011248:Pregnancy Complications D012423:Rural Health D012640:Seizures D055815:Young Adult
Maternal death Social autopsy Bangladesh Rural community Death review