In 2017, ProPublica introduced a series of articles titled “Lost Mothers” to raise awareness about preventable maternal deaths and striking maternal health inequities in the United States (U.S.). The featured article describes an effort to identify the estimated 700 to 900 women who died from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes in 2016 in the U.S. Other articles highlight critical maternal health issues in the U.S. with an emphasis on racial inequities, quality of care and monitoring and surveillance of maternal deaths…read more
Maternal Health and Rights in the United States: Inequity in the Land of Plenty
Posted onThe fundamental right for respectful, high quality health care should extend beyond the perinatal period to accommodate women throughout their lifespan. The intersectionality of race, gender, class and access to health care must be considered to ensure that every woman in the United States has the healthy pregnancy and birth to which she is entitled. As we celebrate and push for an International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, let’s remember that the fight for the right to health and equality begins outside the labor and delivery room. In the land of plenty, we can do better…read more
Black Mamas Matter! Building a Human Rights Movement for Maternal Health in the U.S.
Posted onBy Katrina Anderson and Pilar Herrero, Center for Reproductive Rights Today, women in the U.S. are actually more likely to die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth complications than they were two decades ago, and Black women are nearly four times more likely to die than White women. These trends are a wake-up call that rising maternal mortality and morbidity is not only an issue for women outside our borders – it is a domestic human rights crisis…read more
AIM Program | Moving Forward to End Preventable Maternal Mortality
Posted onBy Kisha D. Semenuk, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
In the United States Black women will experience 3-4x more severe maternal complications than white women and overall the majority of maternal deaths are preventable. To tackle the rising maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the United States, the Maternal-Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has funded a national maternal safety and quality improvement initiative, known as the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Program. The overarching goals of the AIM Program are to prevent 1,000 maternal deaths and 100,000 severe maternal complications in the U.S. by the end of 2018… read more
What Explains the United States’ Dismal Maternal Mortality Rates?
Posted onWhat I Know About Black Mothers
Posted onDoulas Addressing Disparities in Health Care in NYC and Beyond
Posted onBy Nan Strauss, Director of Policy and Research, Choices in Childbirth As is true worldwide, strategies to improve U.S. maternal health are widely known but remain unavailable to many women. New York City (NYC), known for its prestigious medical schools and high quality specialty care, is no exception to these disparities. Statistics signal the need for change. The maternal mortality ratio in NYC has exceeded the national average for 40 years and racial disparities in pregnancy-related deaths also surpass national rates. Newly released department of health data show that from 2006 through 2010, black women in NYC were 12 times as likely to suffer a pregnancy-related death as white women… read more
Sobering Statistics About Giving Birth in the United States
Posted onBy Priya Agrawal, Executive Director, Merck for Mothers It’s hard to believe that the United States (U.S.) ranks 46th in the world when it comes to the rate of women dying from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Our country’s maternal mortality statistics are the worst of all industrialized countries, and we also lag behind Kazakhstan, Libya and Qatar… read more
Community Health Workers Improve High-Risk Pregnancy Care in the United States
Posted onImproving Maternal Health in the United States: Incorporating Our Primary Stakeholders
Posted onBy Suha Patel. As a maternal health provider, I would love to know what women think about the care my colleagues and I provide. I need more comprehensive, high quality information about the patient experience in the maternal health care system than my online reviews or the latest discussion about home birth vs facility birth on a pregnancy help website. Projects in low-income countries are engaging patients in the conversation on how to improve safe and respectful care in maternity centers worldwide. Through a quick PubMed search, I can read about what women in Tanzania think of the quality of obstetric care they receive, yet I can’t find a systematic, large-scale effort to understand patient perceptions of quality and satisfaction with maternal care in the U.S… read more