Pre-eclampsia is a multisystem syndrome of unknown aetiology peculiar to pregnancy. Between 2003–5, the report on confidential enquiries into maternal and child health (CEMACH) recorded 18 deaths in the UK as a result of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (0.85 per 100 000 maternities), making this the second leading cause of maternal death. In 72% of these cases, care was deemed substandard.
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