The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is two to threefold greater than in other high-income countries, and it has only increased in recent years, according to the review, which was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
The researchers determined that mental health disorders such as suicide and opioid overdose are responsible for nearly one in four maternal deaths in the U.S. That’s almost double the rate of maternal death from postpartum hemorrhage, the second leading cause of pregnancy-related death.
George Washington University has experts available who can speak to these alarming numbers.
Caitlin Murphy is a research scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is an expert in maternal and child health, women’s health, reproductive health and disparities in health among vulnerable populations. She has done previous research on maternal mental health dark zones.
Nancy Gaba is professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Amita N. Vyas, is an associate professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and Director for the MPH Maternal and Child Health program and the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health.
Linda Cassar, clinical associate professor at the George Washington School of Nursing, has worked primarily with the maternal/child health patient population over her 30 years as a nurse, working in labor and delivery, mother/baby, high-risk antepartum, and outpatient community perinatal education.
If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, [email protected].
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