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Bleeding and sepsis at childbirth are a danger to mothers: Sierra Leone study shows a simple screening tool can detect risk in time

The Conversation · · 1018 words · By Andrew Shennan; Katy Kuhrt; Rossetta O G Cole

The article discusses the use of the Shock Index and the CRADLE vital signs alert device to improve the early detection of postpartum haemorrhage and maternal sepsis, particularly in low-resource settings. It highlights research conducted in Sierra Leone and other regions, noting the tool's integration into World Health Organization guidelines.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/bleeding-and-sepsis-at-childbirth-are-a-danger-to-mo…

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10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 5
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info Single Source 2
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verified Verified By Reference 1
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“Severe bleeding after birth (postpartum haemorrhage) is the leading cause of maternal mortality globally.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources identify postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) as the leading cause of maternal mortality globally.
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web search NEUTRAL — There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the subacute phase, lasting six weeks; and the delayed phase, lasting up to six m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_period
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 27, 2024 · Postpartum starts immediately after childbirth and generally lasts six to eight weeks. Your body goes through many physical and emotional changes during this time, with some symptoms la…
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/postpartum
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 17, 2026 · The postpartum period is not only about recovery. It is also about becoming a parent, finding your way into a life that has fundamentally changed, learning who this small person is and …
https://americanpregnancy.org/postpartum/
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“It causes approximately 70,000 deaths annually.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources explicitly state that PPH results in approximately 70,000 maternal deaths annually, citing the WHO.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Postpartum depression (PPD), also known as perinatal depression, is a mood disorder which may be experienced by pregnant or postpartum women. Symptoms include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, cry…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_depression
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Postpartum infections, also known as childbed fever and puerperal fever, are any bacterial infections of the female reproductive tract following childbirth or miscarriage. Signs and symptoms usually i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_infections
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasti…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_period
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“About 80% occur in Africa and South Asia.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific statistic that '80% occur in Africa and South Asia' is found in one specific web result. Other sources mention these regions as high-risk but do not provide the 80% figure.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — According to the 2022 census, the population of South Africa is about 62 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions, with a majority being Black Africans. The South African …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_South_Africa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of coastline that stre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and ethnic-cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's popu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asia
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“A recently published World Health Organization analysis shows postpartum haemorrhage accounts for 28% of maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to 14% in northern Europe.”
CORROBORATED
The specific percentages (28% in sub-Saharan Africa vs 14-15% in Europe/North America) are corroborated by two different web search results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — African immigrants in Europe are individuals residing in Europe who were born in Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_immigration_to_Europe
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — How Europe Underdeveloped Africa is a 1972 book written by Walter Rodney that describes how Africa was deliberately exploited and underdeveloped by European colonial regimes. One of his main arguments…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Europe_Underdeveloped_Afri…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — White Africans of European ancestry refers to citizens or residents in Africa who can trace full or partial ancestry to Europe. They are distinguished from Arabs, Berbers, and Copts in North Africa, w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Africans_of_European_anc…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Another leading cause of maternal mortality globally is pregnancy-related infections.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that pregnancy-related infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality globally.
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web search NEUTRAL — Summary Points. Pregnancy-related infections are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, with the burden falling disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3467240/
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web search NEUTRAL — Another leading cause of maternal mortality globally is pregnancy-related infections. The body’s natural response to infection sometimes causes injury to its own tissues and organs during pregnancy, c…
https://theconversation.com/bleeding-and-sepsis-at-childbirt…
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web search NEUTRAL — Globally, hemorrhage, pregnancy-related infections, and hypertensive disorders are the top three direct causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, accounting for 51.9% of all maternal deaths [71].
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/1199053
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“A 2024 global maternal sepsis study involving 2,466 women across 43 countries reported the highest proportion of infection-related serious maternal outcomes in low and middle-income countries.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant results about Coca-Cola directors and elections; no evidence regarding a 2024 maternal sepsis study was found in the provided results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 British Columbia general election was held on October 19, 2024, to elect 93 members (MLAs) of the Legislative Assembly to serve in the 43rd parliament of the Canadian province of British Colu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_British_Columbia_general_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 Indian general election was held in Uttar Pradesh in seven phases from 19 April to 1 June to elect 80 members of the 18th Lok Sabha, with the results declared on 4 June. Bypolls for Dadraul, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Indian_general_election_i…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This table provides a list of scientific, nationwide public opinion polls conducted from the 2021 Canadian federal election leading up to the 2025 Canadian federal election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2025_C…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Of the six world regions studied, serious outcomes were highest in Africa at 19.5%.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of results about a musical called 'Six' and is entirely irrelevant to maternal sepsis statistics.
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web search NEUTRAL — Six (stylised SIX in all caps) is a musical with music, book, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. [1] It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_(musical)
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web search NEUTRAL — From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse.
https://sixonbroadway.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — The Six Wives Of Henry VIII Take To The Mic To Tell Their Tales In An Uplifting Musical. Divorced. Beheaded. Live.
https://sixthemusical.com/
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“Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios globally.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Sierra Leone has had one of the highest maternal mortality ratios globally, specifically citing it as the highest in the world in 2000.
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web search NEUTRAL — Yet, some of them would take exception to her argument, pointing out that Sierra Leone — torn apart by civil war during the 1990s and devastated by the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016 — had the highe…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/world/africa/women-matern…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sierra Leone is ranked 14 out of the 25 poorest countries in the world. The population of Sierra Leoneans living below the poverty line is 60%. The adult literacy rate is 41% in comparison to the glob…
https://medium.com/@itsisata/the-streets-f-salone-1189a40b9e…
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web search NEUTRAL — In 2000, Sierra Leone had the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world (alongside South Sudan). Around 1,800 pregnant women died for every 100,000 live births. Since then, risks for mothers hav…
https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/sierra-leone-has-re…
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“The study was carried out in three maternity hospitals in Sierra Leone among 495 women with bleeding and 855 women at risk of maternal sepsis.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this specific study's parameters in Sierra Leone.
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“a woman with Shock Index of at least 1.7 (very abnormal) had a 10-fold greater risk of maternal death compared to women with Shock Index 0.9 to 1.7 (abnormal).”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found regarding the Shock Index and its correlation with maternal death risk.
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“Early retrospective studies from Nigeria, Egypt and the UK in pregnant women with bleeding and suspected sepsis showed that combining blood pressure and heart rate in a ratio – the Shock Index – enabled impending shock to be identified earlier.”
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“An unpublished study in Karnataka, India, found abnormal Shock Index was strongly associated with severe maternal anaemia.”
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“Work in Bidibidi refugee settlement, Uganda, showed Shock Index can help identify patients with malaria.”
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“the Shock Index is now incorporated in the new World Health Organization integrated Postpartum Haemorrhage Guideline.”
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“the WHO is recommending a postpartum haemorrhage treatment trolley, including the CRADLE own vital sign alert.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.