Mother's death means baby is likely to die too.

Safe Mother (1994) PMID 12345460

A study by Dr. Nagiba Abdulghani, conducted for the University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, reports that in almost 2/3 of the cases of maternal death during childbirth in North Yemen, the children died within 1 year of their mothers. The maternal mortality ratio in North Yemen is 753 per 100,000 live births. The study included 224 maternal deaths in 10 hospitals between May, 1987, and April, 1989. 9 out of 10 mothers who died were illiterate. Only 1/5 had received prenatal care. The inaccessibility of health services, the poor quality of care and facilities, and a lack of faith in a system that humiliates women were given as reasons for failure to seek medical care. Causes of death in order of frequency were hepatitis, hemorrhage, infection, and toxemia. 3/4 of the women died postpartum. 1/5 of the babies were stillbirths. 1/5 of the mothers had a history of maternal complications. 1/5 had chronic disease. 2/3 of the women had begun their pregnancies within 1 year of their last childbirth. 1/2 of the women had symptoms ranging from vomiting and fatigue to jaundice and vaginal bleeding. Recommendations of the study included: 1) programs to prevent and treat hepatitis and; 2) an information, education, and communication (IEC) community campaign on the signs of maternal complications. Personnel should also continue their training and research activities.