CDC Issues Report on Maternal Mortality, Prevention Strategies

An estimated 31 percent of pregnancy-related deaths occur during pregnancy, 36 percent during delivery or the week after, and 33 percent one week to one year after delivery, according to a report recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Based on 2011-2015 data from CDC’s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System and 2013-2017 data from 13 state maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs), the analysis found that heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths. The national pregnancy-related mortality rate was 17.2 per 100,000 live births, with rates for American Indian/Alaska Native women and black women two to three times higher than rates for white women.