This is the first edition of this paper. Its aim is to inform those involved in the care of pregnant women in the UK about the relationship between social determinants of health and the risk of maternal death.
This Scientific Impact Paper was developed prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
This is the first edition of this paper. Its aim is to inform those involved in the care of pregnant women in the UK about the relationship between social determinants of health and the risk of maternal death.
Social determinants are the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These factors can be individual, institutional/structural and legal, and shape a person's health, their exposure to illness and access to care.
The worse social and economic positions people are in, the worse their health outcomes are likely to be.
The evidence suggests a strong relationship between social determinants and poor maternal outcomes, including an increased risk of maternal death.
Despite the provision of free reproductive and maternity services, current models of care are still failing those pregnant women living in adverse social circumstances prior to, during and after pregnancy.
Healthcare professionals have limited power on their own to modify social determinants of health, but this paper concludes with recommendations to improve the maternal outcomes of vulnerable pregnant women residing in the UK and proposes improvements to the collection and reporting of maternal outcome data, with further investment in prevention and intervention measures to better support these women.
Please note that the Scientific Advisory Committee regularly assesses the need to update. Further information on this review is available on request.
Developer declaration of interest
Professor GL Jones, Leeds School of Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University: None declared.
Dr CA Mitchell DRCOG, Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield: NIHR global health research grants received as co-investigator on Prime Prevention of Preterm Birth and on the Role of Social Prescribing in Primary Care, also as a member of the Deep End NIHR Cluster Research Network on the pilot to support inclusive research with ethnic minority and other under-represented patient groups in Sheffield.
Dr JE Hirst, Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford: Funding received as part of the UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship 2021–22. Member of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Diabetes Committee 2021.
Professor DOC Anumba FRCOG, Sheffield: None declared.