Quality of Life 1 year After a Maternal Near-miss Event

Objectives: To evaluate quality of life (QoL) parameters among women categorized with a maternal near-miss during pregnancy.

Methods: The present prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital in South Africa between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016. Patients who experienced maternal near-miss events were included and patients with uncomplicated low-risk pregnancies were enrolled as a control group. Various parameters were assessed using a WHO QoL questionnaire.

Results: The maternal near-miss and uncomplicated low-risk pregnancy (control) groups comprised 95 and 51 women. The maternal near-miss group scored lower than the control group in all four domains of the questionnaire (P<0.001). Overall, 42 (82%) women in the control group and 41 (43%) women in the maternal near-miss group desired future fertility (P<0.001). Women in the maternal near-miss group who had experienced perinatal loss scored lower in the physical health and well-being (P=0.009), psychological health and well-being (P=0.007), and environment (P=0.031) domains compared with women in the maternal near-miss group who experienced a live delivery. Nonetheless, QoL scores among women in the maternal near-miss group who had experienced perinatal loss remained lower than those reported by women in the control group (P<0.001).

Conclusion: A maternal near-miss event during pregnancy was associated with reduced QoL, especially among women who had experienced perinatal loss.