SPECIAL ARTICLE Delivery-related complications and early postpartum morbidity in Dhaka, Bangladesh N. Fronczak a , G. Antelman b , A.C. Moran c , L.E. Caulfield d , A.H. Baqui e, * a ORCMacro, Calverton, MD, USA b Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Baltimore, MD, USA c Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Baltimore, MD, USA d Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Center for Human Nutrition, Baltimore, MD, USA e Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Health Systems Program, Baltimore, MD, USA Received 9 June 2005; received in revised form 12 September 2005; accepted 14 September 2005 Abstract Objective: To describe delivery-related complications and postpartum morbidity of women living in slum areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Method: From November 1993 to May 1995, 1506 women were interviewed regarding delivery-related complications and postpartum morbidities. Operational definitions were applied to maternal reports to categorize serious delivery-related complications and postpartum morbidity. Corroborating information was identified from medical records for facility-based deliveries and physical examinations by female physicians 14 to 22 days postpartum. Result: Thirty-six percent of women described serious delivery- related complications and 75% of women reported postpartum morbidity. There were two maternal deaths among 1471 live births. When maternal reports were related to corroborating information, the proportion of women’s reports of serious complica- tions and morbidity appears reasonably accurate for some conditions. Conclusion: A large proportion of urban slum women in Dhaka experience serious delivery-related complications and/or postpartum morbidity. Information on delivery practices that contribute to morbidity and factors that influence appropriate care seeking is needed. D 2005 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 0020-7292/$ - see front matter D 2005 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2005.09.006 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 410 955 3850; fax: +1 410 614 1419. E-mail address: abaqui@jhsph.edu (A.H. Baqui). KEYWORDS Maternal health; Postpartum morbidity; Delivery complications; Developing countries; Bangladesh International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2005) 91, 271—278 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijgo