Every maternal death counts

The U.S. is the country with the highest proportion of maternal deaths among all developed nations.

Below is a graph from the CDC database on maternal deaths in the U.S.

Between 2003 and 2017 there has been an increase of 77% (from 223 to 323) for non-Hispanic Blacks, while there has been an increase of 140% (from 194 to 465) for non-Hispanic Whites.

Causes of U.S. maternal mortality

The latest report from March of Dimes is out on maternal and infant health and the results are alarming. The U.S. received a C on the report card for its preterm birth rate. For the 4th year in a row, the rate of preterm births is up and over 22,000 babies die each year before reaching their first birthday.