Among pregnancy-related deaths with information on timing, 22% of deaths occurred during pregnancy, 25% occurred on the day of delivery or within 7 days after, and 53% occurred between 7 days to 1 year after pregnancy, according to 2017-2019 data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs)
The leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death include mental health conditions (including deaths to suicide and overdose/poisoning related to substance use disorder) (23%), excessive bleeding (hemorrhage) (14%), cardiac and coronary conditions (relating to the heart) (13%), infection (9%), thrombotic embolism (a type of blood clot) (9%), cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle) (9%) and Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (relating to high blood pressure) (7%).
American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) people are disproportionally impacted by pregnancy-related deaths. A second report uses an approach for classifying AI/AN populations that includes those who also identify as multi-racial or of Hispanic ethnicity.
Most pregnancy-related deaths of AI/AN people (93%) were determined to be preventable. About 64% of deaths occurred between 7 days to 1 year after pregnancy.
Examples of prevention recommendations from MMRCs include wider access to insurance coverage to improve prenatal care initiation and follow-up after pregnancy, providing opportunities to prevent barriers to transportation to care, and the need for systems of referral and coordination.
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