Maternal death – a great danger in the United States

There are a few miracles happening these days and one of them is giving birth. Unfortunately, sometimes it comes with a price and there are more and more women who die during or very soon after pregnancy. The maternal death rate is on the rise as, between 2000 and 2014, it rose by almost 27 percent.

The study was published online in Obstetrics & Gynecology and it can be seen as a warning for the doctors and future mothers. It seems that for every 100,000 live births there are 24 women who died during the pregnancy or a few days after giving birth. The authorities have already made their own report. They estimated a rate of 16 women who died or every 100,000 live births.

Even though maternal death is not something that happens often, the fact that the rate is rising should be a great concern for all of us. Many people asked why is this happening. The researchers of the study said they could not get into the causes of death as they were focusing on getting at the numbers.

There are some risks factors that could lead to pregnancy-related problems. First of all, there are obesity, diabetes, smoking or drug addiction. Most of the women who died during their pregnancy were overweight or had a problem with illegal substances. Of course, previous pregnancy problems or hypertension can also be considered risk factors.

Maternal death can be caused by social-economic status too. There are women who live in families where nobody works or they do not take care of their child during pregnancy.  Let’s not forget that domestic violence can be a major threat for a pregnant woman. There were many women who died as they were subject to violence in their home. There should be more laws regarding this matter if we want the future mother and her child to be safe. You should also consider getting pregnant when you are younger, older women have a higher maternal mortality rate.

The important thing to know is that you do not have to worry because, for the majority of women, pregnancy goes well. Of course, there are always some risks but as long as you eat well and take care of your body, nothing wrong will happen.

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