Pregnancy-Related Deaths in the US Save

This cross-sectional study used nationwide data on births and pregnancy-related deaths from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research. All pregnancy-related deaths among women aged 15 to 54 years from 2018 to 2022 were included. The primary outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific maternal death and late maternal death (ie, deaths occurring >42 days and up to 1 year after pregnancy). 

Between 2018 to 2022, there were 6283 pregnancy-related deaths, including 1891 late maternal deaths. The pregnancy mortality increased by 27.7% between 2018 (25.3 deaths per 100 000 live births) and 20222 (32.6 deaths per 100 000 live births). 

The increase was disproportionately driven by deaths among women aged 25 to 39 years (by 36.8%, 2018 vs 2022). 

There was a considerable variation in rates by state, ranging from 18.5 to 59.7 deaths per 100 000 live births. 

If the national rate was reduced to the lowest state rate, 2679 pregnancy-related deaths could have been prevented between 2018 to 2022.

Highest rates were seen with American Indian and Alaska Native women (106.3 deaths per 100 000 live births), followed by non-Hispanic Black women (76.9 deaths per 100 000 live births). 

Although cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of the overall pregnancy-related deaths, cancer, mental and behavior disorders, and drug-induced and alcohol-induced death were important contributing causes of late maternal death.

Public health measures may impact and reduce avoidable deaths during pregnancy.