Abstract
Several common themes that need to be recognised by all professionals providing maternity care have emerged from all the Chapters of this Report. To aid learning and clinical practice, some key overall good practice points have been brought together in this new section of the Report. The lessons fall into the following main categories:• improving basic medical and midwifery practice, such as taking a history, undertaking basic observations and understanding normality
• attributing signs and symptoms of emerging serious illness to commonplace symptoms in pregnancy
• improving communication and referrals.
This aide memoire does not cover every eventuality and should be taken as a signpost to help identify and exclude the commoner disorders of pregnancy. It is not, however, exclusive, nor does it replace the need for all health professionals to be up to date with their clinical practice and follow the relevant clinical guidelines. An in-depth discussion of all of these issues as they relate to specific causes of death can be found in the individual chapters of Report, which should be read in conjunction with this aide memoire.