Michelle Winokur, DrPH

Leading Causes of Maternal Mortality 

After mental illness, excessive bleeding claimed the most maternal lives, 14%, while cardiac and coronary conditions accounted for 13%. Infection, thrombotic embolism, and cardiomyopathy were each linked to 9% of deaths. 

More than half of deaths, 53%, occurred between seven days and one year after pregnancy. Furthermore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four in five deaths were preventable. 

Enhanced Data Program 

These are the first data to be released through ERASE Maternal Mortality, (2) a program that aims to support more robust data collection about the causes of pregnancy-related death. The CDC launched Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality in 2019 in response to increasing maternal mortality rates and deepening disparities in deaths between women from communities of color and white women. 

Since then, the federal government has awarded 39 states and one U.S. territory additional funding to enhance the work of Maternal Mortality Review Committees. (3) These multidisciplinary committees convene to identify, review, and characterize pregnancy-associated death data, which include representatives from public health, obstetrics and gynecology, mental and behavioral health, forensic pathology, and other stakeholders. 

Improving Prevention Efforts 

A more comprehensive understanding of drivers of maternal mortality can better inform prevention efforts. Given the complexity of interrelated factors, intervention opportunities exist at the patient, provider, facility, system, and community levels. Federal officials suggest that “everyone can help prevent pregnancy-related deaths.” (3) 

Asking female patients if they are or have recently been pregnant can help inform healthcare providers’ diagnoses and treatment decisions. Likewise, listening to new moms’ physical and mental health concerns is critical to linking them to the most appropriate care. Finally, expanding access to comprehensive insurance coverage can improve prenatal and postpartum care, enhancing the opportunity to identify and mitigate risk factors before they become deadly. 

The newly available data elucidate the causes of pregnancy-related mortality in America. It is up to policymakers and healthcare providers everywhere to make more informed decisions and implement interventions to improve outcomes for pregnant women and new moms. 

References: 

1. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0919-pregnancy-related-deaths.html 
2. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/erase-mm/index.html 
3. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0919-pregnancy-related-deaths.html