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US maternal death rate rose slightly last year, health officials say
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer
US maternal death rate rose slightly last year, health officials say
MOTHERS AND THEIR NEWBORN CHILDREN. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE PREGNANT, IT’S FOR MANY PEOPLE. IT’S VERY HAPPY TIME. FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT’S A SCARY TIME, ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON’T HAVE SUPPORT. LATASHA MAYES, A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM ALLEGHENY COUNTY, SAYS THE EXPERIENCE OF PREGNANCY CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS. IT’S DEEPLY PERSONAL TO ME BECAUSE I AM A MOM AND MY PARTNER. WHEN SHE HAD HER BABY, I WAS EXTREMELY SCARED AND FEARFUL THAT SHE WOULDN’T MAKE IT. THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION SAYS BLACK MOTHERS ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE DURING PREGNANCY OR IN THE YEAR AFTER THAN WHITE MOTHERS, AND THE RATE OF INFANT DEATHS PER LIVE BIRTH WAS TWICE AS HIGH FOR BLACK INFANTS. MANY DOCTORS SAY ACCESS TO CARE FOR BLACK MOTHERS AND INFANTS CAN BE A CHALLENGE DUE TO SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS LIKE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE, HOUSING AND FOOD. DISPARITIES EXIST AS IT PERTAINS TO MATERNAL CARE AS WELL AS INFANT CARE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY IMPROVEMENTS ON YEAR AFTER YEAR. DOCTOR TONYA WRIGHT WITH PENN STATE HEALTH’S OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY DIVISION, SAYS FOUR OUT OF FIVE MATERNAL DEATHS ARE PREVENTABLE. SHE SAID HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS NEED TO LOOK AT REDUCING IMPLICIT BIAS IN HOW THEY DELIVER CARE, AND MAKE SURE BLACK MOTHERS FEEL SUPPORTED IN THE PROCESS OF GIVING BIRTH. BLACK WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENTER A PREGNANCY WITH UNDERLYING CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT ARE NOT ADEQUATELY MANAGED. WE HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN HELPING PATIENTS TO HAVE THESE RISK FACTORS MITIGATED PRIOR TO PREGNANCY AND DURING PREGNANCY. HERE AT THE PENNSYLVANIA CAPITOL, LAWMAKERS AND THE GOVERNOR IN RECENT YEARS HAVE BEEN TAKING ACTION TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH. JUST LAST YEAR, LEGISLATION SUPPORTED BY THE BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH CAUCUS WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, EXTENDING MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR DOULAS, TRAINED NON-MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL SUPPORT TO MOTHERS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER CHILDBIRTH. IT’S A PROVEN METHOD TO HELP SUPPORT BETTER, GREATER, AND MORE EQUITABLE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR BLACK MOMS I
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US maternal death rate rose slightly last year, health officials say
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer
Related video above: Disparities persist in Black maternal, infant healthMore U.S. women died around the time of childbirth last year, reversing two years of decline, according to provisional data posted Wednesday.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 688 people died last year during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. That’s up from 669 deaths in 2023, but down from 2022 and 2021, when it was the highest level in more than 50 years.The maternal mortality rate rose to 19 deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 18.6 the year before.The CDC counts women who die while pregnant, during childbirth and up to 42 days after birth from conditions related to pregnancy. Excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages and infections are leading causes.Such deaths spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the coronavirus was particularly dangerous to pregnant women. And, in the worst days of the pandemic, burned out physicians may have added to the risk by ignoring pregnant women’s worries, experts say.The waning of COVID-19 is considered a major reason for the declines in maternal deaths in 2022 and 2023, experts say.But those improvements are now being offset by other factors that may reduce access to medical care, experts say. They say the list includes the closure of rural hospitals and the U.S. Supreme Court decision that did away with the federally established right to abortion, which caused some doctors to feel constrained about providing care during pregnancy-related medical emergencies.The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations. Past research has found wide racial disparities in such deaths, with Black women dying at a far higher rate than white women.

Related video above: Disparities persist in Black maternal, infant health

More U.S. women died around the time of childbirth last year, reversing two years of decline, according to posted Wednesday.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 688 people died last year during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. That’s up from 669 deaths in 2023, but down from 2022 and 2021, when it was the highest level in more than 50 years.

The maternal mortality rate rose to 19 deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 18.6 the year before.

The CDC counts women who die while pregnant, during childbirth and up to 42 days after birth from conditions related to pregnancy. Excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages and infections are leading causes.

Such deaths spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the coronavirus was particularly dangerous to pregnant women. And, in the worst days of the pandemic, burned out physicians may have added to the risk by ignoring pregnant women’s worries, experts say.

The waning of COVID-19 is considered a major reason for the declines in maternal deaths in 2022 and 2023, experts say.

But those improvements are now being offset by other factors that may reduce access to medical care, . They say the list includes the closure of rural hospitals and the U.S. Supreme Court decision that did away with the federally established right to abortion, which caused some doctors to feel constrained about providing care during pregnancy-related medical emergencies.

The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations. Past research has found wide racial disparities in such deaths, with Black women dying at a far higher rate than white women.

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