PIP: The results of a survey analyzing 22,774 hospital births in Zaria are given. The maternal mortality rate for both booked and unbooked women was 10.5/1000 deliveries. 6.7% of the women were 15 and under with a maternal age range of 9-50 years. 76% of the population received basic antenatal care. Educated women were more likely to accept antenatal care. The survey data indicated that 89.2% received no education, 6.2% primary education, 2.4% secondary education, and 2.2% post secondary education. Also, women 30 were more likely to have less children if they were formally educated. 17.4% had 5 or more births; the greatest of births was 24. For those not receiving antenatal care , the death rate was 70/1000 deliveries in early teenage primigravida, 11-30/1000 for women in their 20s with 1-4 parities, and 45/1000 in women 30 years or older with 4 births. Lower death rates were associated with women receiving antenatal care; 10/1000 for young girls, 1.5/1000 in older highly parous women, and 1/1000 in other women. The survey demonstrated that maternal mortality rate increased as child survival declined. Parity had no impact on maternal mortality rate in women having a good child survival record while it did influence mortality with women having a poor child survival record; maternal mortality increases with increasing parity. Since only a small portion of the surveyed population employed contraception, it is doubtful that contraception could lower high parity and population growth. Family planning services should be aimed at high risk women. Pregnancy complications included pre-eclampsia, previous cesarean section, disproportion, prolonged labor, eclampsia, placenta previa, placental abruption, and uterine rupture. 60% of the operative deliveries were cesarean section. Higher maternal mortality rates were also associated with blood transfusions in patients with high hematocrit levels. In general, healthy women experienced less difficulties. Short-term proposals to improve maternal mortality rates include antenatal care and available operative deliveries. Long-term recommendations include decreasing the % of high risk women and high child mortality rate and promoting antenatal care.