Pregnancy-related Death

Minority Women's Health > African Americans > Health Topics > Pregnancy-related Death

Each day in the U.S., between two and three women die of pregnancy-related causes. A pregnancy-related death is one that occurs during pregnancy or within one year after the end of pregnancy and is caused by pregnancy-related complications. The risk of death due to pregnancy varies greatly in different groups. African American women are almost four times as likely as white women to die of pregnancy-related complications. For African American women, the risk of pregnancy-related death goes up greatly with age.

African American women are more likely to die from ectopic pregnancies, when the fetus develops outside of the uterus (womb), and preeclampsia, which is a combination of high blood pressure, fluid retention, and protein loss in the urine. African American women are also more likely to leak amniotic fluids during pregnancy, which can lead to infection.

We do not know for sure why African American women have such high rates of pregnancy-related death. One study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that limited access to health care may be one reason, noting that pregnant African American women were more than twice as likely as white women to get late or no prenatal care. Most of the women in the study said they wanted earlier prenatal care, but they could not get it because of a lack of money or insurance or not being able to get an appointment.

Publications

1.   High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy - This publication contains information on high blood pressure in pregnancy. It covers the effects of high blood pressure, what preeclampsia is and how it is detected, and ways to prevent problems from occurring during the pregnancy.

   http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_preg.htm

2.   Maternal mortality for complications of pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium, by race, Hispanic origin, and age: United States, selected years 1950–2004 - This is a table from the publication Health, United States 2006 that lists the most recent statistics about maternal death in the United States by age and race.

   http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf#043

3.     Maternal Mortality: African Americans Remain at Higher Risk - This article discusses statistics about African American maternal mortality, why they are so high, and goals for the future.

   http://www.omhrc.gov/assets/pdf/checked/Maternal%20Mortality--African%20Americans...

4.   What I Need to Know About Gestational Diabetes - This booklet defines gestational diabetes, explains its causes and diagnosis, and outlines treatments. It also includes strategies for preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes later in life.

   http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/gestational/index.htm

5.   Maternal Death and Injury in the United States (Copyright © AMCHP) - This publication provides information regarding maternal death and injury, statistics on pregnancy-related injury or death in the United States, and a call to action at the individual and community level to change these statistics.

   http://www.amchp.org/publications/Downloads/maternaldeathandinjury.pdf

6. Preeclampsia (Copyright © AAFP) - This handout provides information on the symptoms of preeclampsia, possible treatments, and the risks to the woman and her pregnancy.

   http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/pregnancy/complications/064.ht...

Organizations

1.   Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA, HHS
2.   National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK, NIH, HHS
3.   National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, HHS
4. Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
5. Preeclampsia Foundation

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007