JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri again ranks in the bottom fifth of the nation when it comes to women dying while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy, according to a new state survey.
In a report issued Friday by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, an average of 70 Missouri women died while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy each year over a five-year period from 2017 to 2021.
In a statement, agency director Paula Nickelson said the numbers were "unacceptable."
The pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 32.2 deaths per 100,000 live births, placing the state among the worst in the nation behind a group of southern states including Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina.
Nationally, the rate is 23.2 deaths per 100,000 live births, giving the U.S. the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed nation, according to The Commonwealth Fund.
Chesterfield Mall is coming down, a new 'downtown' is going up. Here's what we know. Ted Drewes Jr., icon of beloved St. Louis frozen custard stand, dies at 96 Michelle Smallmon educates nation on St. Louis' feelings on Stan Kroenke, Rams It's been a rough year for the Hoffmanns in Missouri. They say they're staying put. Bald eagle thought to be hurt was really just 'too fat to fly,' Missouri officials say St. Louis barbecue festival Q in the Lou canceled, organizer says Cardinals answer wake-up call: Day begins with hotel scramble, ends in 9th-inning stunner 'Shocking,' 'jarring': Sparse Cardinals crowds stun Padres broadcasters They walked away from a Missouri cult. Now they're warning anyone who'll listen. Kamala Harris may be energizing Democrats, but southeast Missouri voters aren't impressed Hochman: Padres' Mike Shildt returns to St. Louis just as he left -- a winning manager 'Can I believe my eyes here?' Bear saunters across yard of southern Illinois home Federal appeals court strikes down Missouri's Second Amendment Preservation Act Investigation of St. Louis schools leader to include 6-figure salaries for colleagues Bad break, again: Pitch fractures Willson Contreras' finger, sends Cardinals catcher to IL
Maternal mortality rates in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin rank among the lowest.
While the rate in Missouri has generally held steady in recent years, the report contained positive news for Black women. While deaths for Black women remains more than two times the ratio for white women, the report shows a decline from the previous three years.
The report also notes that 77% of pregnancy-related deaths were determined to be preventable.
The latest survey comes as Missouri's Republican-led Legislature has been moving to address the issue by providing a year's worth of medical coverage to new mothers and their babies through the federal Medicaid program.
In November, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved the state's application, which is aimed at improving health outcomes for mothers in the state.
Medicaid funds pays for nearly 50% of births in Missouri.
Nickelson said the agency is working to implement new strategies to reduce Missouri's rate.
"It is reassuring that our state's policymakers understand the gravity of this issue and were willing to take decisive action," she said.
Support for extending coverage to one year is viewed as a way to address a potential increase in births in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Tops among causes of death for pregnant women was cardiovascular disease, followed by mental health conditions and infection.
Sarah Ehrhard Reid, chief in the DHSS office of women's health, told a panel of lawmakers Wednesday that about half of the deaths attributed to mental health were due to substance abuse.
"All were considered preventable," Ehrhard Reid said.
Pregnancy-related deaths where infection was the underlying cause spiked in 2021 due to COVID-19.
"The majority of women who died from COVID-19 among the cases reviewed were unvaccinated," the report said.
The fourth leading cause of pregnancy-related death was from injuries. Of those, the most common means of fatal injury in these cases was a firearm at 67%.
"All of these cases occurred in metropolitan counties," the report noted.
The survey includes recommendations designed to improve care, including advice to mothers and doctors.
To ward off cardiovascular problems, the report urges pregnant women with elevated blood pressure to check their blood pressure daily and report the results to their physician.
Health providers also should screen women for depression and anxiety and refer women needing assistance to mental health professionals and treatment programs.
In addition, the state should establish a central portal where providers can seek advice on mental health issues, the report said.
In addition, the study urges doctors to recommend that pregnant and those planning to become pregnant should be vaccinated against COVID-19.
0 Comments