The pregnancy journey can be a joyously fun one for many mothers. However for some, it can also be equally dangerous in terms of maternal mortality. Yet, these deaths do not have to happen. According to the CDC, four out of five pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
In the new study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, based on analysis by the Maternal Mortality Review Committees, researchers found that for more than four out of five women who died during either delivery or up to a year postpartum, more than 84% of those deaths were preventable. With “reasonable changes” by health care providers, the community, or the patients, many of these women could have survived. The study was based on meticulous assessments of more than 1,000 pregnancy-related deaths between the years 2017 and 2019.
“Far too many women experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be one of the most joyous times of their lives,” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote in a letter introducing the Biden administration’s “Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis” that launched in June of this year.
The research captures a period of time prior to the pandemic and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Since then, another study published during the summer found that maternal mortality spiked in the first year of the pandemic. These deaths were especially high among Hispanic and Black women.
Black women are three times more likely to die a pregnancy-related death than White women in the U.S. The most common reason that contributed to death was heart conditions.
“Everyone can help prevent pregnancy-related deaths,” the CDC said in a news release.
The CDC continued, “Healthcare systems, communities, families, and other support systems need to be aware of the serious pregnancy-related complications that can happen during and after pregnancy. Listen to the concerns of people who are pregnant and have been pregnant during the last year and help them get the care they need.”
For more information regarding this study, click here.
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