What You Should Know About America’s High Rate Of Maternal Mortality

Consumerist ^ | May 12, 2017

[SMGFan]

When you think about fatalities during childbirth, your mind may immediately leap to infant deaths. But although it’s much safer to give birth in America now than say, 100 years ago, women are dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes at a higher rate than any other country in the developed world.

An in-depth investigation into maternal mortality by NPR and ProPublica highlights the tragic story of a neonatal nurse who died less than a day after giving birth in the hospital where she works. It’s a tale more common in this country than you might think, even with medical innovations and improved living standards in the modern era. While we highly recommend reading NPR and ProPublica’s investigative report in its entirety, here are just a few of the things we learned about maternal mortality in the U.S.:

700 to 900 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes every year in the U.S.: And about 65,000 women nearly die, the investigation found, resulting in the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world. Of those, 60% are preventable, according to an analysis by the CDC Foundation.

[SMGFan]

How many of these mothers who died were here illegally?

[DoughtyOne]

Drugs? Alcohol? High risk lifestyles that leave them compromised going into labor?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

We don’t care about the 1.1 million aborted babies though.

[MrEdd]

The United States population is what, 324 million give or take?

So the total number here amounts to what, statistically speaking?

[SpaceBar]

I had it explained to me by a woman that pushing a watermellon through a cherio isn’t without risks.

[Zakeet]

From the Article: Pregnancy and childbirth complications kill women from all walks of life: Though maternal mortality is significantly more common among African Americans, low-income women, and those in rural areas.

Abstinence from illegal drugs and alcohol, regular prenatal obstetric consultation, and practicing proper hygiene will work wonders.

Of course, all of this pales in comparison to the terrible damage inflicted in killing centers where thousands of unborn babies are murdered every day.

[DoughtyOne]

It amounts to a little over 400 more deaths per year compared to the 1980s.

I base this on the death rates of 9.1/100,000 (births) around the 80s to 18.4/100,000 today. 800 is the number of deaths in the most recent year.

At a little more than half that figure would be the size of the increase.

We have more stresses like drugs, poor lifestyles, and increased child bearing ages...

For all the talk about access to healthcare, I’m not convinced that’s it either.

California provides prenatal care, and I’m sure mothers are receiving a higher level of attention than they did in the 80s. Big Daddy government and all...

[Intolerant in NJ]

Children having children - illegitimately.......

[deepestsouth1]

BTW a woman who dies from the complications of abortion are counted in the maternal mortality stats too.

[DoughtyOne]

That’s probably true. Good point.

[Tax-chick]

It could be related to the Caesarian-section rate. Invasive surgery with anesthesia causes more deaths.

[Rusty0604]

I was at a manager’s meeting with all the rabid liberals I worked with at a public employees union. Our lobbyist was talking about some issue (which I’m sure was only important if it meant more dues paying members) and she said that the U.S. infant mortality rate was one of the worse. Just letting what I thought come right out of my mouth, I said that they must be counting all the abortions. Silence and shocked looks followed.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’d like to do a random poll: is there ANYONE here on FR that has lost a loved one to death during childbirth?

Like EVER? I’m 56. I know of NO WOMAN that has died due to this. Not. A. One. And I know a LOT of people.

More B.S. to push abortion and ‘pregnancy’ as some MAJOR ‘health risk’ to women.

*Rolleyes*

[Tax-chick]

I know a couple at church whose daughter died due to complications in pregnancy (not in delivery). The baby also died. I don’t know what the specific cause was.

[jjotto]

Illegals, and high-risk pregnancies by legal immigrants. Take them out, and I bet the US looks pretty good. And take out American blacks, who seem to be regressing, and the numbers look like Switzerland. The same idea applies to murder and gun deaths.

[raybbr]

I bet they won’t say the real reason - obesity. How many pregnant women put on 50 or 60 pounds and no one says a word to them. My wife put on 55 pounds with our first child and when I brought it up the ob/gyn you would have thought I called my wife a bitch by the reaction.

[T-Bone Texan]

"...... Just letting what I thought come right out of my mouth, I said that they must be counting all the abortions......"

That's very awesome, and made my friday.

[exDemMom]

Someone mentioned above that women who die during abortions are also counted among “childbirth” deaths.

I’ll bet that, in addition, the damage caused during abortion causes a significant number of maternal deaths and near-deaths in subsequent pregnancies.

Abortion not only kills the immediate child, but is highly deleterious to subsequent children. A woman who has a history of aborting is more likely to experience pregnancy loss and premature birth later on. Of course, premature birth is linked to increased infant mortality. It would not be surprising if abortion-related damage caused higher maternal death in subsequent pregnancies, since it affects a woman’s ability to carry a normal pregnancy to term.

[goodnesswins]

No...did know a woman in 80s who had very difficult birth...in her early 30s

[raybbr]

Actually they did talk about obesity: “And they’re dying from a variety of causes — including cardiomyopathy and other heart problems, massive hemorrhage, blood clots, infections, and pregnancy-induced hypertension (preeclampsia) — days or even weeks after leaving the hospital.”

All of those conditions can be attributed to obesity during pregnancy and the stress it puts on the woman. They just won’t call it what it is.