Year after year, data shows that the maternal mortality rate in the United States remains unacceptably high, with Black and American Indian or Alaska Native pregnant and postpartum people disproportionately experiencing health inequities.
The vast majority—roughly 80%—of maternal deaths are considered preventable, and nearly half of maternal deaths occur between seven and 365 days postpartum, not during delivery itself.
According to the data, the leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death in the U.S. include:
- 23% – Mental health conditions (including deaths to suicide and overdose/poisoning related to substance use disorder)
- 14% – Excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
- 13% – Cardiac and coronary conditions (relating to the heart)
- 9% – Infection
- 9% –Thrombotic embolism (a type of blood clot)
- 9% – Cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle)
- 7% – Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (relating to high blood pressure)
Maternal Health Awareness Day is January 23, 2025. This year’s theme is Know What’s at Stake. Telligen joins the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and others in raising awareness about the maternal mortality crisis and highlighting the importance of reproductive health. Telligen’s Maternity Management Program provides education and resources to give pregnant people and their babies the best possible start. Participation in a maternity program is proven to shorten inpatient stays, reduce the number of preterm births and low birth- weights, and reduce NICU admissions.
Telligen is proud to offer our own suite of solutions to eliminate healthcare disparities to improve health for all. Learn more at Telligen.com/health-equity.
Sources:
- https://nichq.org/campaigns/maternal-health-awareness-day/
- https://www.acog.org/advocacy/policy-priorities/maternal-mortality-prevention/maternal-health-awareness-day