Worsening Maternal Mortality in the U.S.: What Physicians Need to Know

May 2024 update: A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that U.S. maternal mortality rates are not three times the average of other comparable countries, but rather in line with mortality rates experienced in those countries. The study proposes that high and rising rates of maternal mortality in the United States are a consequence of changes in maternal mortality surveillance, with inappropriate use of the pregnancy checkbox on death certificates leading to an increase in misclassified maternal deaths.

 In response, the new study counts only forms with the checkbox ticked if they also include separate physician notes referring to pregnancy-related death. Whereas it seems logical to assume that the checkboxes may sometimes be marked incorrectly, to suggest that they are always incorrect unless accompanied by a separate physician’s note seems to be a particularly aggressive assumption.

The rate of maternal mortality in the United States is, on average, three times higher than that of other highly developed nations. And if current trends continue, the rate will only get worse.

To offer information and perspective about this critical issue — and recommendations to reverse the trend — the Institute at MagMutual® has created a new article, “Worsening Maternal Mortality in the U.S.: What You Need to Know and How You Can Protect Your Patients.” It outlines the high rate of maternal mortality in the United States as compared to other developed nations and discusses the elements of the problem that healthcare providers can address. It also examines medical and socio-economic issues that physicians don’t control and that need to be addressed by society as a whole.

Our hope is that it will spur changes both in medical treatment and in public policy, education, research and data-gathering that will help decrease the high rate of maternal mortality in our country.

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