Maternal Mortality
What is Maternal Justice?
Evidence-based, Trauma-Informed, Culturally Competent Standards of Health Care.
Maternal Mortality Crisis
The United States has the worst maternal death rates of any developed country. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, independent of age, parity or education. Every year in this country, 700 - 900 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes, and some 65,000 suffer severe complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60 percent of maternal deaths in this country are preventable. And, according to the World Health Organization, we are the ONLY industrialized nation in the world where maternal deaths are rising, not falling.
Our team continues to work hard to make maternal mortality, and specifically the crisis in Black maternal health a key issue for leaders on the local, state, and national levels. Check out our factsheet to learn more about why we must address maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States.
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Take Action
The U.S. is the deadliest place to give birth out of any high-income country. There has never been comprehensive federal action to solve our maternal crisis until the Black Maternal Health Momnibus. Urge Congress to support this vital legislation!
There are currently over two million women, right now, living in maternity care deserts -- counties, often in rural areas, where there are no hospitals or birthing centers that help with pregnancy, and there are no doctors who specialize in pregnancy care.
Maternal mental health conditions affect over 800,000 U.S. women yearly. Low diagnosis & treatment rates contribute to making suicide a leading cause of death for new moms. Urge our leaders to do more to address this crisis!
Up to 1 in 5 women suffer from maternal mental health disorders like depression or anxiety in the U.S.