New York City, NY – A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology reveals a significant impact on maternal mortality rates when pregnancy is among the documented causes of death. Researchers from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, led by K.S. Joseph, M.D., Ph.D., conducted an analysis of maternal deaths in the United States spanning from 1999 to 2021. By identifying deaths through the mention of pregnancy on death certificates, the study found a notable decrease in maternal mortality rates.
The study showed a remarkable 144 percent increase in maternal deaths according to the National Vital Statistics System methodology, with rates rising from 9.65 to 23.6 per 100,000 live births between 1999-2002 and 2018-2021. This increase was observed across all racial and ethnic groups. Direct obstetrical deaths increased from 8.41 to 14.1 per 100,000 live births during the same period, while indirect obstetrical deaths rose from 1.24 to 9.41. Interestingly, in 2018-2021, 38 and 87 percent of direct and indirect obstetrical deaths, respectively, were identified through the mention of pregnancy.
Coauthor Justin S. Brandt, M.D., from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, emphasized the importance of not solely relying on the pregnancy checkbox for identifying maternal deaths. He pointed out that this approach helped avoid misclassification, which had previously skewed the perception of increasing maternal mortality rates in the United States.
The alternative formulation used in the study revealed that the maternal mortality rate stood at 10.2 and 10.4 per 100,000 live births in 1999-2002 and 2018-2021, respectively. Notably, there was a decrease in deaths from direct obstetrical causes, dropping from 7.05 to 5.82 per 100,000 live births. These findings underscore the significance of accurately documenting and analyzing maternal deaths to make informed assessments and improvements in healthcare practices.