LIFESTYLE
Why Does the U.S. Have the Highest Rate of Maternal Deaths in the Developed World? by Matt Casey
A
ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 65,000 of the 4 million women who give birth annually in the U.S. experience a dangerous and even life-threatening complication. Of those
women, 700-900 will actually die due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. The numbers do not paint a promising picture, as
»» In 2000, the rate was 14 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births »» In 2009, the rate was 17.8 deaths per 100,000 live births »» In 2013, the rate was 18.5 deaths per 100,000 live births Yet, while the numbers continually rise in the U.S., other
data shows that the United States has the highest rate of maternal
countries such as Germany, France, Canada and Japan have had
mortality in the industrialized world—and it’s trending in the
their maternal mortality drop over time. Since 2016, ProPublica
wrong direction:
and NPR have investigated factors that led to the increase in
»» Between 1979 and 1986, the U.S. averaged 9.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
maternal mortality in the United States. They reported the rate of life-threatening complications for new mothers in the U.S. has
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