New federal data shows a modest but meaningful decline in maternal deaths in the U.S.—but leading clinicians warn the country is still far from where it needs to be.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 649 women died of maternal causes in 2024, down from 669 in 2023—bringing rates closer to pre-pandemic levels. While progress is encouraging, the U.S. continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed nations.
Experts say the data underscores a complicated reality: improvement is happening, but systemic challenges—and stark disparities—persist.
Experts are available to offer insight into the maternal health crisis. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaum
gwu [dot] edu (katelyn[dot]deckelbaum[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Suzan Ulrich is the director of midwifery education at the GW School of Nursing. She has been a midwife since 1983 and an educator of nurses and midwives for over 40 years.
Tarnisha Hemphill is an assistant professor of nursing at GW. Her area of expertise is promoting diversity and equity in health care and improving prenatal care access to underserved populations with health disparities.
Linda Cassar, clinical associate professor at the GW 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.
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