Maternal deaths in the UK: pre-eclampsia deaths are avoidable

Abstract

Only two women died from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during pregnancy in the UK during 2012-14. 1 In the previous two reports, there were 19 and ten maternal deaths from pre-eclampsia in 2006-08 and 2009-11, respectively. This reduction is remarkable since hypertensive diseases have consistently been a leading direct cause of death in pregnancy. Maternal deaths from pre-eclampsia have been associated with substandard care, 3 suggesting they are avoidable.