Glossary

Term · Postpartum: Your Body

pregnancy-related death

Also: maternal death, pregnancy-related mortality

A death during pregnancy or within a year after it, from any cause related to or made worse by pregnancy. Reviewed by state committees to find what could change.

In plain words

A pregnancy-related death is a death of someone who was pregnant at the time or within a year of the end of pregnancy, from any cause that was related to or made worse by the pregnancy. The cause can be a medical condition or an injury. Pregnancy-related deaths are rare, but they are not evenly spread. Postpartum mothers face much of the risk, and the risk is higher for Black mothers and for mothers in some rural areas. Many states review these deaths in maternal mortality review committees to learn what could have changed the outcome. The reviews look at care, access, and warning signs. Warning signs of serious postpartum illness are well described, and help is available at any time.

The deeper version

The CDC uses a pregnancy-related death definition that covers any death during pregnancy or within one year of pregnancy end, from any cause, and distinguishes pregnancy-related from pregnancy-associated deaths. Maternal mortality review committees in most states classify cause and preventability, and the CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System integrates these reviews. Cardiovascular conditions, hemorrhage, infection, and mental health conditions, including suicide, are leading contributors in recent reports. Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality are large and persistent in US data. Measurement challenges include death certificate coding and the timing of deaths. The main controversy concerns the one-year window and whether it captures late deaths from conditions such as cardiomyopathy and .

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Sources

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System: definitions and reporting
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Committee Opinion 736: Optimizing Postpartum Care (2018)

The Mothership Topic Wiki is general information for mothers and the people who care for them. It is not medical, legal, or mental-health advice and does not create a provider relationship. Experiences posted by members are their own. In an emergency call 911. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988.