Background
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) maternal mortality rates (deaths per 100,000 live births per year) fell steadily from 82.8 in 1958 to 11.8 in 1975. However, from 1975 to 1986; AI/AN maternal mortality rates have shown little change while the rates for U.S. All Races continued to show decline. The average AI/AN rate for this period was 8.3.
Based on these data, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has two concerns: (1) The rate of AI/AN maternal mortality no longer appears to be decreasing, and (2) the general AI/AN maternal mortality rate is above the U.S. All Races mortality rates.
This policy will address these two concerns through the establishment of procedures and standards that focus specifically on several aspects of obstetric care. Additional important issues in maternal and obstetrical care, which have an important impact on maternal mortality and which must be considered in the development and. implementation of comprehensive health services for women and mothers, are addressed in other sections of the Indian Health (IH) Manual, Part 3, Chapter 13, Maternal and Child Health.