Question

The commonest cause of maternal mortality in India is:

• A. Anemia
• B. Hemorrhage
• C. Abortion
• D. Sepsis

Hint:

Postpartum hemorrhage remains India's top direct cause of maternal death.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the leading direct cause of maternal deaths in India.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Maternal mortality in India is analysed under direct obstetric causes, which include hemorrhage, sepsis, obstructed labour, unsafe abortion and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and indirect causes such as anemia and other medical conditions that worsen during pregnancy.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
National data on maternal deaths in India consistently place hemorrhage, mainly postpartum hemorrhage, as the single largest direct cause, responsible for roughly a quarter to a third of all maternal deaths.
Anemia is an important indirect and contributing cause, since it worsens the outcome of bleeding and infection, but it is not counted as the top direct cause on its own.
Unsafe abortion and sepsis are also significant contributors, but their individual share of maternal deaths is smaller than that of hemorrhage.
Excess blood loss after delivery can happen fast, and where transport, blood banks and skilled birth attendance are limited, it is the hardest of these causes to manage in time, which is why it remains the top cause across most Indian surveys.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The commonest cause of maternal mortality in India is hemorrhage, mainly postpartum hemorrhage. This is option (B).