Lost Mothers: A Look Into America’s Maternal Morbidity Rates

Successful childbirth is a measurement of a society’s development. But, in America, women are three times more likely to die during or as a consequence of childbirth than women in Canada, and six times more likely than women in Scandinavia.

These startling statistics and more are revealed through in-depth investigations into maternal morbidity, conducted by NPR and ProPublica, called “Lost Mothers.”

“Lost Mothers” features a series of reports, which examine race, income, deaths, near-deaths, and the evolution of maternal care in the U.S.

NPR’s “Morning Edition” helps to shed light on a fragmented, maternal health system where infants are highly monitored and mothers aren’t. “In recent decades, under the assumption that it had conquered maternal mortality, the American medical system has focused more on fetal and infant safety and survival than on the mother's health and well-being,” reports the “Lost Mothers” team.

Other reports, including “Nearly Dying In Childbirth: Why Preventable Complications Are Growing In U.S.” shines light on the rising numbers of deaths due to pre-existing conditions (hypertension or preeclampsia), complications (such as haemorrhages), medical error, or lack of preparation during and after childbirth.

California is leading the charge to reverse this nationwide trend. The state has cut its maternal death rates in half, thanks to statewide initiatives, according to another “Morning Edition” report, which adds, “That starts with one early innovation of the California collaborative: toolkits that contain everything needed to tackle an emergency complication, from checklists to equipment to medications.”

Keeping carts, or toolkits, nearby directly increases survival rates, and has been shown to lower the rate of severe maternal morbidity due to haemorrhage by nearly 21 percent.

For more on this topic, visit "Lost Mothers."