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About 700 American women die each year from pregnancy-related complications, but about 60% of these deaths could be prevented, according to a new report.
According to the report released today (May 7) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnancy-related deaths occur not only before and during childbirth, but also up to the date of birth. one year after childbirth.
The researchers found that about 31% of pregnancy-related deaths occur when a woman is pregnant. 36% occur on delivery or until one week after; and 33% occur later, between one week and one year after childbirth.
"Too many women die largely from preventable deaths," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, senior deputy director of the CDC, at a press conference today. "We can and must do more" to prevent these tragedies, she said. [9 Uncommon Conditions That Pregnancy May Bring]
Tragic deaths
The report analyzed data on pregnancy-related deaths in the United States between 2011 and 2015. One death was thought to be pregnancy-related if it was caused by a pregnancy-related complication, a chain of 39 Events triggered by pregnancy or by an underlying disease has been aggravated by pregnancy.
In total, approximately 3,400 pregnancy-related deaths occurred during the five-year period, representing approximately 17 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
There were significant racial disparities in maternal deaths, with black and Amerindian women being about three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Heart disease and stroke have finally caused more than a third of pregnancy-related deaths. At the time of delivery, the most common causes of death were obstetric emergencies, such as heavy bleeding and "amniotic embolism", which occurs when the amniotic fluid enters the blood of the mother. In the week following delivery, the most common causes of death were heavy bleeding, infections, and high blood pressure due to pregnancy. Later in the postpartum period, from six weeks to one year postpartum, the most common cause of death was cardiomyopathy or weakened heart muscle.
"These are women in their youth who leave loved ones" who are often stunned by what happened, Schuchat said. Work is needed to make these tragic events as rare as possible.
Prevent maternal deaths
The report also identified a number of factors that seem to contribute to maternal deaths, as well as strategies to address them. For example, one problem is that some health facilities have limited experience with obstetric emergencies, making them less prepared to deal with life-threatening complications resulting from pregnancy. To address this problem, hospitals could offer staff members "simulation" training on how to deal with obstetric emergencies and implement standard protocols to deal with them.
Physicians can also help women manage chronic conditions that may contribute to pregnancy-related complications, educate their patients about the warning signs of such complications, and tell them when to seek emergency care.
"We have the means to identify and fill gaps in care [these women] receive, "said Schuchat.
Originally published on Science live.
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