September 25, 2023 U.S. Maternal Deaths Rise as Health Disparities Increase; Local Resources Offer Support A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has revealed significant increases in pregnancy-related deaths across the United States, with disproportionate losses among Black, Native American, and Alaska Native people. About the Study Entitled, “Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States,” the study analyzed state-by-state census data from 1999 to 2019 on pregnant or recently pregnant individuals aged 10 to 54 years, to provide comprehensive evidence on maternal morbidity and to guide policies aimed at preventing maternal deaths. Key Findings Results revealed a stark spike in maternal mortality rates, with pregnancy-related deaths more than doubling among all racial and ethnic groups across the U.S. over the last 20 years, and more than tripling for Native American and Alaska Native people. However, maternal mortality remains the highest among the nation’s Black population, continuing historic trends. Unfortunately, worsening healthcare for Black and BIPOC mothers—a trend typically relegated to southern states—is expanding. According to the study, New York and New Jersey saw an increase in Black and Latina deaths, while more Asian mothers died in Wyoming and Montana. Supporting Information In interviews with study authors and other medical professionals, WESA, an NPR affiliate, revealed the uniqueness of this upward trend, noting that other high-income countries have seen their maternal morbidity rates decline as a result of increasingly accessible healthcare. Consequently, state review committees consider most maternal deaths preventable, as most deaths appear linked to untreated health conditions and complications. Thus, WESA sites researchers are advocating for improved access to care, which Medicaid may allow, as the program pays for about half of U.S. births. Local Maternal Health Resources Local programs and services may help new and expecting mothers in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and Pennsylvania. Some of these resources include: 211 Pennsylvania Prenatal Care Services AHN Pregnancy and Newborn Services Allegheny County Office of Family and Child Health Catholic Charities Roselia Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services HealthCare.gov: Health Coverage If You’re Pregnant, Plan to Get Pregnant, or Recently Gave Birth Healthy Beginnings Plus Healthy Start Pittsburgh Hello Baby: Home Visiting Medical Assistance for Children and Pregnant Women The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health UPMC Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine Learn More Find the status of local maternal health and learn about the state maternal morbidity review committee on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. To learn more, read the NPR and WESA article, “U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here’s who is most at risk.” Sources Information for this post was taken directly from “Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States”—a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)—and the NPR and WESA article, “U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here’s who is most at risk.” Text has been added, paraphrased, and adapted for reproduction, readability, and comprehension, and resources curated from a number of online sources. Related Content & Resources National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Available Prenatal-to-Three Playbook Details State of Child Care in Allegheny County, Shares Resources Resources for May Observances: Mother’s Day PA Receives $1.2 Million to Promote Maternal and Child Health Through 2026
April 7, 2023 Innovative Approaches to Improve Maternal Health Hybrid Workshop In the United States, pregnancy-related deaths and complications, or maternal mortality and morbidity (MMM) rates, are among the highest in the developed world. For Black women and American Indian/Alaska Native women, they are especially high, regardless of their income or education levels. Collaboration among researchers, small businesses, and the community could lead to new ways to improve maternal health and reduce U.S. MMM rates. Hosted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this event brings together those groups to address health disparities. Session Details Date & Time: Monday, May 8 – Tuesday, May 9 | 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Location: Participants have the option to attend virtually in in-person. Watch the event live via NIH videocast: May 8: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49193 May 9: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49196 Attend the in-person event at: Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus Bethesda, MD 20894 Cost: Free Register: Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. In person space is limited, so be sure to register early. To register, complete the online registration form. Learn More During the workshop, participants will: explore key scientific discoveries in diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-associated conditions and the areas ready for translation participate in how-to training sessions focused on best-practices in translation, education, funding, technology development, and dissemination review implementation science and community-engaged methods to ensure maternal health technologies reach those most affected and address health equity This workshop is sponsored by: NIH IMPROVE Initiative NHLBI National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) To learn more, visit the National Institutes of Health website.
February 21, 2023 Critical Building Blocks for a Healthy Start: Championing Equitable Maternal Health Data show that maternal mortality rates are higher among Black and Native American women, regardless of income and educational levels. Additionally, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than non-Hispanic White women, even though three out of five pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Although these glaring racial disparities have reached a crisis level, there are opportunities to make policy changes to better support the health of all babies and birthing parents. Join the Alliance for Early Success for this webinar, featuring speakers from the National Birth Equity Collaborative and state advocates from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia to discuss the drivers for these alarming disparities and what we can do to improve maternal health for everyone. Session Details Tuesday, February 28 | 3 – 4 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More Webinar speakers include: Megan Simmons, Policy Director, National Birth Equity Collaborative Ky Lindberg, Chief Executive Officer, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia Sakesa Berry, Founder & Executive Director, Atlanta Doula Collective To learn more, visit the Alliance for Early Success website.
