In Latin American, there is currently a regional action with the main purposes of putting the concept of severe neonatal morbidity in practice and formulating proposals for interventions. A general overview of neonatal health conditions, including morbidity and mortality, is provided to update regional knowledge on the topic. An example of the development and implementation of the concept of maternal near miss is also provided, followed by results from a systematic review covering all previously published studies on Neonatal Near Miss. Finally, some proposals for building a common concept on the topic and for launching a prospective surveillance study are presented. A Neonatal Near Miss is a neonate who had a severe morbidity (organ dysfunction or failure) but who survived this condition within the first 27 days of life. The pragmatic criteria recommended to be used are as follows: birth weight below 1700 g, Apgar score below 7 at 5 minutes of life and gestational age below 33 weeks. As a proxy for organ dysfunction, the following management criteria are also confirmed: parenteral therapeutic antibiotics; nasal continuous positive airway pressure; any intubation during the first 27 days of life; phototherapy within the first 24 h of life; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; the use of vasoactive drugs, anticonvulsants, surfactants, blood products and steroids for refractory hypoglycemia and any surgical procedure. Although this study starts from a regional perspective, this topic is clearly globally relevant. All nations, especially low and middle-income countries, could benefit from the proposed standardization.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether the proposed features of the Obstetric Transition Model-a theoretical framework that may explain gradual changes that countries experience as they eliminate avoidable maternal mortality-are observed in a large, multicountry, maternal and perinatal health database; and to discuss the dynamic process of maternal mortality reduction using this model as a theoretical framework. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study by the World Health Organization that collected information on more than 300 000 women who delivered in 359 health facilities in 29 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, during a 2-4-month period in 2010-2011. The ratios of Potentially Life-Threatening Conditions, Severe Maternal Outcomes, Maternal Near Miss, and Maternal Death were estimated and stratified by stages of obstetric transition. The characteristics of each stage are defined. RESULTS: Data from 314 623 women showed that female fertility, indirectly estimated by parity, was higher in countries at a lower obstetric transition stage, ranging from a mean of 3 children in Stage II to 1.8 children in Stage IV. Medicalization increased with obstetric transition stage. In Stage IV, women had 2.4 times the cesarean deliveries (15.3% in Stage II and 36.7% in Stage IV) and 2.6 times the labor inductions (7.1% in Stage II and 18.8% in Stage IV) as women in Stage II. The mean age of primiparous women also increased with stage. The occurrence of uterine rupture had a decreasing trend, dropping by 5.2 times, from 178 to 34 cases per 100 000 live births, as a country transitioned from Stage II to IV. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis supports the concept of obstetric transition using multicountry data. The Obstetric Transition Model could provide justification for customizing strategies for reducing maternal mortality according to a country's stage in the obstetric transition.

RESUMEN OBJETIVO: Evaluar si las características propuestas del Modelo de Transición Obstétrica, un marco teórico que puede explicar los cambios graduales que experimentan los países a medida que eliminan la mortalidad materna evitable, se pueden observar en una amplia base de datos de salud materna y perinatal de varios países; y tratar sobre el proceso dinámico de reducción de la mortalidad materna utilizando este modelo como marco teórico. MÉTODOS: Este estudio consistió en un análisis secundario de un estudio transversal realizado por la Organización Mundial de la Salud que recopiló información sobre más de 300 000 mujeres que dieron a luz en 359 establecimientos de salud de 29 países de África, Asia, América Latina y Oriente Medio, durante un período de 2 a 4 meses en el 2010 y el 2011. Se calcularon los índices de afecciones potencialmente mortales, resultados maternos graves, morbilidad materna extremadamente grave, y muerte materna, y se estratificaron según las etapas de transición obstétrica. Se definen las características de cada etapa. RESULTADOS: Los datos de 314 623 mujeres indicaron que la fecundidad femenina, calculada indirectamente por el número de partos, fue mayor en los países que se hallaban en las primeras etapas de la transición obstétrica, desde un promedio de 3 hijos en el estadio II a 1,8 en el estadio IV. El nivel de medicalización de los establecimientos de salud de los países participantes, definido por el número de partos por cesárea y el número de partos inducidos, tuvo tendencia a aumentar según avanzaba la etapa de transición obstétrica. En el estadio IV, las mujeres tuvieron 2,4 veces más partos por cesárea (15,3% en el estadio II y 36,7% en el estadio IV) y 2,6 veces más inducciones de parto (7,1% en el estadio II y 18,8% en el estadio IV) que las mujeres en el estadio II. A medida que avanzaban las etapas de transición obstétrica, también se incrementaba la media de edad de las mujeres primíparas. La ocurrencia de rotura uterina mostraba una tendencia descendente, y se reducía 5,2 veces, de 178 a 34 casos por 100 000 nacidos vivos, a medida que un país efectuaba la transición del estadio II al IV. CONCLUSIONES: Este análisis apoya el concepto de transición obstétrica utilizando datos de varios países. El Modelo de Transición Obstétrica podría justificar la adaptación de las estrategias para reducir la mortalidad materna según la etapa de transición obstétrica en que se halla un país.