Maternal Health 101

While maternal mortality was slowly on the rise across the US, Texas gained national attention (in a bad way) in 2016 when a number of reports indicated that maternal deaths in this state were not only increasing but on par with mortality rates in global south countries. Upon further investigation, reporting errors were discovered and the mortality numbers were lower than the original study suggested. However, the numbers were still significantly higher than they should be in a country that spends the most globally on healthcare. Here’s a quick rundown of the current state of affairs in maternal health:

Maternal Health Glossary
 
 
According to the CDC, 700 women across the United States die each year because of pregnancy-related complications.

Texas has the 6th highest maternal death rate in the US

In 2016, Texas had 34.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. While this number doesn’t sound astronomical, it is significantly higher than the national average (23.8 deaths per 100,000 births) and higher than any other developed country.

causes of Maternal Death

According to the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, the top four leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death were cardiovascular and coronary conditions, obstetric hemorrhage, infection/sepsis, and cardiomyopathy. Preeclampsia/Eclampsia, mental health conditions, and amniotic fluid embolus were tied for 5th.  

The U.S. has the highest rate of mothers dying during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum of any developed country -- 26 women for every 100,000 live births. Last week, NPR and ProPublica published a joint investigation into the reasons why mothers are dying. ProPublica reporter Nina Martin joins Hari Sreenivasan from Oakland, California, to discuss what the investigation found.
The U.S. has a problem with maternal mortality, especially for women of color. Black infants are more than twice as likely to die as white infants; black women are three to four times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

Black women are 2-3 times more likely to be affected

Regardless of any other factors (socioeconomic status, age, education, insurance carrier, etc), black women are the most at risk population. The reasons behind this, like the issue itself, are multifaceted and complicated but the most easily identified reasons stem from implicit bias and institutional racism in the healthcare system. READ MORE…

80% of maternal deaths in Texas could’ve been avoided

The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force identified a multitude of ways to directly reduce the death and severe complication rate for women like extending Medicaid coverage after delivery and implementing AIM bundles in hospitals. Read their most recent report HERE.

Additional Resources

 

KXAN News investigates “Mothers Erased”

A primer on maternal mortality - March 28th, 2019

Hospitals and doctors know how to protect mothers. They just aren't doing it. Mothers are dying or suffering serious injuries because U.S. hospitals aren't following known safety measures, a USA TODAY investigation finds.