Since the first edition was published in 2000, Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth has been translated into several languages and is currently used in training for and the provision of emergency obstetric care. The new edition brings the manual's guidance in line with WHO's current recommendations for emergency obstetric and newborn care.

While most pregnancies and births are uneventful, all pregnancies are at risk. Around 15% of all pregnant women will develop a potentially life-threatening complication that calls for skilled care, and some will require a major obstetrical intervention to survive. This manual is written for midwives and doctors at district hospitals who are responsible for the care of women with complications of pregnancy, childbirth, or the immediate postpartum period, including immediate problems of the newborn.