Addressing the maternal health crisis through improved data infrastructure: Guiding principles for progress

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries and experiences substantial disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly by race and ethnicity. The most recent national report on maternal mortality in the US reveals a significant increase in the national maternal mortality rate in 2019 compared to 2018 (20.1 and 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births respectively), with the rate among non-Hispanic Black women 2.5 times the rate among non-Hispanic White women and 3.5 times the rate among Hispanic women. Differences by age groups were also noted (12.6 deaths per 100,000 live births among women younger than age 25, 19.9 among those ages 25–39, and 75.5 among those ages 40 and older). A prior report using older and 10-year (2007–2016) aggregated data on pregnancy-related deaths (measured differently than maternal mortality) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System indicate that American Indian and Alaska Native women also experience high mortality (2.3 times higher pregnancy-related mortality ratio compared to their non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander counterparts, and the gap widened among older age groups).
As a nation, we can and should provide better, more patient-centered care for expecting and new mothers that is responsive to their expressed needs—both to improve health outcomes for all mothers and their children and to eliminate current disparities. (author introduction) #P4HEwebinarOctober2024