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Here's why maternal mortality increased during the pandemic

WAMU 88.5 | By Arfie Ghedi

Published May 22, 2023 at 8:07 AM CDT

The maternal mortality crisis continues to impact the country.

The U.S. has the highest number of pregnancy-related death of any developed nation. During the pandemic, those numbers increased.

According to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maternal mortality rose for the third consecutive year in 2021. The number of maternal deaths was 1,205 in 2021, up from 861 the previous year.

And while the CDC’s report covers maternal mortality during the height of the pandemic, factors like age and other pregnancy-related illnesses contributed to the number of deaths reported.

Why do Americans continue to die during childbirth? And what resources do expecting parents have to combat the crisis?

Arfie Ghedi