Maternal Mortality in Nigeria: A Literature Review

One hundred forty-five Nigerian women die in childbirth every day. This review was conducted to evaluate the influences on maternal mortality in Nigeria. It is an analysis and synthesis of the professional literature surrounding maternal mortality in Nigeria and a review of articles in CINAHL, Health Source, Medline in EBSCO, including PubMed, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, 2000-2015, analyzed and sorted into themes. The etiology of maternal mortality can be categorized as medical, socio-economic, cultural, behavioral, and political causes. While some of the occurrences are predicted during routine prenatal care, most occur spontaneously without warning signs. Only one-third of births in Nigeria occur in a health facility. To provide Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) in Nigeria, the community health centers and referral hospitals need to be upgraded to provide supplies, equipment, essential drugs, and blood transfusions delivered by knowledgeable staff at all hours. The vision of is that all pregnant women in Nigeria regardless of their income have access to woman-centered obstetric care that provides a safety net in case of obstetric emergency.