The death rate for women due to pregnancy and childbirth is higher in the United States than other wealthy nations The U.S. rate is double to triple that of other high-income countries Black women have a maternal death rate more than double that of the United States as a whole TUESDAY, June 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal mortality rates in the United States continue to exceed those in other wealthy nations, with most women dying during pregnancy and childbirth in ways that were preventable, a new report shows.
In 2022, U.S. women had a death rate from complications of pregnancy and childbirth of 22 deaths per 100,000 live births, researchers found.
That's a rate more than double and sometimes triple that of other high-income countries, researchers said. For example, there were zero recorded maternal deaths in Norway that year. Further, Black women have the highest maternal death rate in the United States, at nearly 50 deaths per 100,000 live births.
“This study provides a bleak picture of how poorly the U.S. is performing when it comes to maternal mortality rates compared to other high-income countries,” said study author , a senior researcher with the Commonwealth Fund.
For the study, researchers assessed maternal health across 14 nations: the United States, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. About two-thirds (65%) of maternal deaths in the United States occur af.
