City tops state in death of mothers under 18

 Bengaluru topped Karnataka in terms of death of mothers below the age of 18 years in 2016, according to the statistics provided by the department of Health and Family
Welfare.

According to the data, of the 6,807 mothers under 18 who died in the state during 2016, as many as 972 breathed their last in Bengaluru followed by Belagavi, with 700 deaths. Udupi district has reported the least number of deaths at 44. These numbers were obtained from the Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) of the department.

Anaemia, pregnancy induced hypertension, malnutrition and excessive bleeding at the time of delivery are among the major causes for these deaths, according to top sources in the department.

Out of the 6,807 maternal deaths, 205 are at government hospitals and 125 at private. While 95 women died on the way to the hospitals 39 died in their homes.

“Many families from north Karnataka migrate to Bengaluru in search of jobs. Child marriage is prevalent among them. Since these women get admitted to hospitals in Bengaluru, the numbers are high here,” said an official.