Applicability of the Three Delays Model in the context of maternal mortality: integrative review

Abstract

The objective of this review is to summarize evidence available in the scientific literature from the  applicability of the Three Delays Model in the context  of maternal mortality in terms of causal factors and  interventional measures. It is an integrative literature  review, carried out with no time frame, in seven  databases, with the descriptors Maternal Mortality,  Pregnancy Complications, Maternal Death and the  keyword Three Delays Model. 15 studies were  selected for analysis. The first delay stood out as a determinant of maternal deaths, with the refusal to  seek obstetric care in the health institution an  initiative of the woman or family members. In the  second delay, geographic factors and poor road  infrastructure made access to health services difficult.  In the third delay, the care conditions in the health  institutions implied a reduced quality of care. The  applicability of the model makes it possible to  demonstrate the barriers faced by women in the  search for obstetric care and to visualize contexts that  need interventional actions to face the problem.