What does maternal mortality refer to?

Maternal mortality specifically refers to the death of a mother during pregnancy, childbirth, or within the postpartum period, which is defined as up to six weeks after the end of the pregnancy. This definition encompasses a broader timeframe than just the moments of childbirth, emphasizing that maternal mortality includes any death related to pregnancy complications, regardless of where it occurs in the pregnancy continuum. This understanding is crucial for assessing maternal health and developing strategies aimed at improving outcomes for mothers.

The other choices do not fully capture the comprehensive nature of the term. For instance, defining it solely as the death during childbirth restricts the context and does not account for fatalities that can occur at various stages of pregnancy or shortly after, which are significant to maternal health statistics and care practices.