Hospitals Can Prevent More Than Half of Maternal Deaths: Why Aren't They?

Two of the most common causes of death during and after childbirth are blood loss and sharply rising blood pressure. Hospitals can reduce deaths by fatal hemorrhages by up to 90 percent, and deaths by stroke and other blood-pressure-related conditions by 60 percent. They know what to do, but they aren't doing it. Why?

Following up on ProPublica's groundbreaking Lost Mothers series, USA Today's "Deadly Deliveries" report this week analyzes data from 75 hospitals around the U.S. to figure out when and if hospital staff are following basic protocols. Reporters found that dozens aren't doing two basic things: weighing bloody pads to measure blood loss, and giving medication for high blood pressure within the crucial 60-minute timeframe after it's detected. 

Those two basic protocols would dramatically reduce the rates of maternal death in the U.S.. Incredibly, "there are no requirements that U.S. maternity hospitals follow best practices," the article notes.  

California is the only state where hospitals across the board are implementing best practices. The initiative has had stunning results: California chopped its maternal death rate by half in recent years.

In the rest of the U.S., the maternal death rate is rising. It's now 26 for every 100,000, compared to single-digit numbers in every other developed nation. Maternal death rates are falling in every developed nation except the U.S., where they're rising fast. 

ProPublica reported on this issue in-depth, and now the USA Today article should help bring even more attention to this devastating, and solvable, crisis.

For expecting moms who are reading this: Please know that the vast majority of births in the U.S. are healthy and uneventful. This report is in no way meant to alarm you. But during your pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum weeks, do keep an eye out for any symptoms that don't feel right, and ask your partner or caregiver to advocate for you if you can't get doctors or hospital staff to listen. Even though it's the medical staff's job, not yours, to make sure you are cared for properly, staying extra-vigilant never hurts.

In the meantime, reports like USA Today's and ProPublica's are shedding badly needed light on sloppy hospitals. These investigations should prod the U.S. medical system into a much better place when it comes to maternal health. Not a moment too soon.

Photo by Aditya Romansa via Unsplash.