Maternal mortality rates on the rise across America

When you get set to give birth in Connecticut, you might have concerns about whether you and your baby will experience an easy, healthy delivery, and it might surprise you to know that maternal mortality rates are on the rise across the nation. It may, too, surprise you to learn that your race ultimately plays a role in the likelihood of you dying during childbirth, or within one year of childbirth, and that women of some races face higher risks than others. At Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, P.C. we recognize that the majority of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, and we have helped many people who suffered hardship or lost loved ones due to pregnancy or childbirth pursue appropriate recourse in the aftermath.

According to Psychology Today, pregnancy-related deaths continue to increase across America, even though researchers and scientists are regularly making medical advancements meant to reduce pregnancy-linked fatalities. Currently, about 700 American women lose their lives annually as a result of pregnancy-related circumstances, and estimates suggest that more than 60 percent of these deaths could have been avoidable, suggesting that many of them resulted from doctor or hospital errors.

Black women are also substantially more likely than white women to die due to pregnancy-linked causes, and so much so, in fact, that a black woman is between three-to-four times more likely to lose her life during or within a year of childbirth than a white woman. Because some of the main factors that can cause maternal mortality, such as obesity and high blood pressure, can affect women of all races, other causes must be to blame for the disparity between the number of black and white women losing their lives during or after childbirth.

A lack of access to quality medical care for women in urban areas is one possible contributing factor. In Washington, D.C., for example, many women lack access to medical and prenatal care, and this area has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. You can learn more about medical malpractice on our webpage.