Maternal Deaths by Chagas’ Disease in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Chagas’ Disease is responsible for a high rate of morbimortality in Brazil however its real relevance on the maternal mortality is unknown. Objective: The aim of this study is to review the literature on the impact of Chagas’ Disease on the Brazilian maternal mortality during the pregnancy-puerperal cycle. Method: A review of literature was conducted to identify publications about maternal mortality and Chagas’ Disease. Documents were also searched in the websites of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), System of Information about Mortality (SIM) and Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC). Manuscripts, master’s degree and PhD thesis, consensus, epidemiologic bulletins and manuals were analyzed. Results: Initially were found 1326 paper, however just 14 answered the objective. Five epidemiologic bulletins, 4 manuals of Ministry of Health, 3 consensuses of SBC, 1 book and 3 master’s degree thesis were also used. There is no description of the number of deaths of pregnant women per year caused by complications of Chagas’ Disease in the data of the Ministry of Health and in the SIM. According to the data found, one third of pregnant women with Chagas' Disease are cardiac patients and the mortality among them is 3.5%, therefore is expected a mortality of about 1% in the pregnant-puerperal cycle. There is evidence of underreporting of maternal mortality among chagasic pregnant women. Conclusion: The maternal mortality caused by Chagas’ Disease is not known, therefore more studies about it are necessary, in all clinical forms of the disease.