According to a recent study, the reported number of maternal deaths by the CDC in the United States may be inaccurately rising. The study suggests that flawed record-keeping could be the reason for the spike in maternal death rates.
Maternal death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from causes related to the pregnancy itself. Common causes of maternal mortality include excessive bleeding, infection, heart disease, suicide, and drug overdose.
A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that one checkbox on death certificates may have been misused. Data collected from 1999 to 2002 and 2018 to 2021 revealed a stable rate of deaths just over 10 per 100,000 live births. However, the CDC reported an increase in maternal mortality rates per live births from 2018 to 2020.
Changes in the checkbox requirements in 2018 may have resulted in accidental deaths being included in the CDC data, rather than just maternal deaths. Black mothers have the highest rate of maternal deaths, according to a study in 2023. In Arkansas, Black women are twice as likely to experience maternal mortality compared to white women.
Non-Hispanic Black women were more likely to die from ectopic pregnancy, cardiovascular conditions, and other diseases, while non-Hispanic White women were more likely to die from fatal cardiomyopathy and other causes. These disparities highlight the need for improved data collection and reporting to accurately track and address maternal mortality rates in the U.S.
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