Sometimes, facts defy our optimistic expectations. Something that did just that for me was learning about the alarming maternal mortality rates in some developed nations with advanced medical technology, even in the United States. I had presumed that maternal and infant mortalities only really occurred in developing nations where resources are lacking, but it still remains a very crucial problem in the U.S.
As there is a growing movement in dismantling the current federal health-care marketplace into more private and individualized plans that certain people without sufficient income could afford, in addition to the already prevalent assumption that health care is an individual choice rather than public. The increasing levels of maternal mortality rates are one of the prime examples that signifies the importance of preventable and accessible health care to the general population.
A UNICEF report indicates that from 1990 to 2015, the global maternal mortality ratio declined by 44 percent—from 385 deaths to 216 deaths per 100,000 live births, which translates into an average annual reduction of 2.3 percent mortality.
Somehow, the U.S. has bucked this trend of improved maternal health, moving in the opposite direction from the rest of the world. According to the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System from the CDC, the pregnancy-related mortality rates in U.S. have steadily increased from 7.2 per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 17.3 per 100,000 live births in 2013. While it was generally unclear what caused the increase in pregnancy-related deaths, it did provide some clues, namely that certain women in U.S. cannot gain access to relatively affordable prevention care that could help with their pregnancies.
Data from the same report indicated that there are considerable racial disparities in pregnancy-related mortality rates in the country. From 2011 to 2013, the pregnancy-related mortality ratios were 12.1 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women, while 40.4 deaths for black women, and 16.4 deaths for women of other races. In addition, the top three causes of pregnancy-related deaths were cardiovascular diseases with 15.5 percent, non-cardiovascular disease at 14.5 percent, and infection or sepsis at 12.7 percent. The World Health Organization, in a fact sheet about maternal mortality rate released in November 2016, stated that many causes of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable and signified the importance of readily available prenatal and postnatal care.
An article by Priya Agrawal in a 2015 World Health Organization editorial suggested several reasons as to the rise in maternal mortality rates. These inconsistent obstetric practices in hospitals across the nation demonstrate a lack of standard approaches to managing emergencies and are often are too late in identifying the complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
Also, as a result of ongoing health epidemics, many pregnant women in U.S. suffered chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity that could lead to further complications in pregnancy. The problem is that although these conditions could be prevented by having regular checkups and services from clinics, many women without insurance and in certain conditions can not afford to attend these services to maintain more healthy pregnancies.
What could the solutions be to these pregnancy-related deaths? As many of these mortalities could be prevented, the community and public services need to make obstetric, prenatal and postnatal care more easily accessible to all. Many physicians and medical staff in communities already volunteer to conduct community health projects and provide more accessible care to people who could not afford such medical care without insurance.
Also, as it is not advised for some women to become pregnant when they have a higher likelihood of developing complications and not being able to afford healthy pregnancies, birth control and contraceptive options should be available to wider populations to prevent women’s health from declining and possibly reduce the odds of suffering from pregnancy-related complications.
There also needs to be more widespread education within communities about resources regarding reproductive health that are currently available to women in need so that they are more likely to maintain healthier reproductive lives. Not only should this effort be conducted by industrious community leaders and volunteers, but state and federal guidance should also be implemented in order to monitor the causes and outcomes of pregnancy issues so they can better implement solutions. The efforts shouldn’t just stop after the delivery stage, but after the birth of a child as well.
Maternity leave systems and care should be available so that women can recover well and not develop complications that could occur after delivery, such as some infections or illnesses that could strike if adequate care isn’t provided.
It would be tragic if women died from pregnancy-related complications from conception that they did not wish to continue but had to with lack of abortions or available birth control. As every person should be able to control their own bodies, so should women be able to manage their own reproductive health as to achieve the most optimal outcome.
Personally, it is more devastating to see a failure that could have been easily prevented than one that was inevitable. Because we could have worked harder to put a stop to it, but deliberately chose not to. Everyone should be able to have basic pursuit of happiness—this includes a stable life that can be lived without fear of such preventable tragedies.
Hae Rin is a junior majoring in history. What do you think can be done about the rising maternal mortality rates in the United States? Please send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinail.com.
