U.S. Sees a Alarming 28% Rise in Pregnancy-Related Deaths from 2018 to 2022

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has revealed a distressing trend in maternal health in the United States, with pregnancy-related deaths escalating by nearly 28% from 2018 to 2022. This rise translates to a staggering 32.6 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2022. Researchers analyzed a significant sample of 6,283 deaths tied to pregnancy and identified persistent, preventable causes behind these tragic outcomes. Alarmingly, the study indicates that nearly 2,679 lives could have been saved had the U.S. matched the maternal death rates of the best-performing state, California. This data highlights a systemic failure within the healthcare infrastructure to address the needs of mothers, particularly those from marginalized racial groups. Experts have consistently pointed out that a significant percentage of these deaths—around 84%—were preventable, according to data from the CDC. The report goes beyond the bleak statistics, focusing on the disparities that remain entrenched within maternal healthcare. Notably, Black women face much higher maternal mortality rates than their white counterparts, a disparity that experts attribute to systemic racism and inadequate healthcare responses to their concerns. Furthermore, the study noted alarming state-by-state differences in maternal health outcomes, suggesting one's location in the U.S. can heavily influence their maternal health prospects. The study sheds light on the glaring lack of adequate postpartum care as a significant contributor to maternal deaths. Many new mothers, especially those with chronic health issues, mental health hurdles, or insufficient access to regular healthcare, often fall through cracks in the healthcare system post-delivery. Additionally, recent evidence suggests that the introduction of a pregnancy checkbox on death certificates after 2003 has disproportionately inflamed maternal death statistics by making it more likely for coders to assign a maternal cause to a death. This, coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—which was linked to about 25% of maternal deaths in 2020 and 2021—renders a complex scenario for understanding true trends in maternal health. Among the notable voices in this conversation is Dr. Christopher Morosky from UConn Health, who emphasized that chronic underfunding of women’s healthcare in the U.S. has led to a crisis that demands urgent attention. Effective strategies to address these issues range from improving access to health services before, during, and after pregnancy to implementing comprehensive healthcare solutions that consider underlying social determinants affecting maternal health. The call for action remains clear: we must re-evaluate healthcare systems to better prioritize maternal health, especially for marginalized communities that suffer disproportionately in this domain. It’s crucial for policymakers and healthcare practitioners alike to recognize these trends not just as numbers but as lives affected, emphasizing the urgency to implement supportive care systems even post-delivery. The key takeaway here is that every mother deserves care, dignity, and ongoing support—underscoring the collective responsibility for change within the healthcare system to prevent needless fatalities among mothers.