Deaths in childbirths rise in London

The Lancet has reported that over the last five years, deaths in childbirth have doubled in London, England, while remaining approximately the same in rural areas. There's a death rate of 86 per million outside of London, and a death rate of 200 per million within, partly because more complex cases are handled. Part of the problem seems to be that older women with more complex cases are being treated by inexperienced doctors "The Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE) a national body which analyses data on maternal deaths has had its work suspended for just over a year, amid a reorganisation of NHS services." If you don't track statistics, there is no incentive to make them better.

Last year, a report from CMACE revealed that 261 women in Britain died from conditions directly or indirectly related to pregnancy for the three years from 2006 to 2008. Some 107 mothers died of conditions directly related to pregnancy while 154 died of indirect causes, including infections and underlying health problems.

By contrast, legal and early abortion, within twelve weeks of the last menstrual period, carries a 60% risk of causing one woman's death for every million abortions.