Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Long Way To Go': Maternal Deaths Decrease, But Racial Disparities Persist
USA Today: Maternal Deaths Are Dropping, But These Moms Still Face High Risk.
The number of women who died during childbirth or within of weeks giving birth dropped sharply in 2022 after staggering increases during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday estimated 817 women died of maternal causes in the United States in 2022, marking a drop from 1,205 deaths in 2021 and 861 in 2020. (Alltucker, 5/2)
NBC News: Pregnancy-Related Deaths Are Dropping. Here's Why Doctors Aren't Satisfied
The accuracy of NCHS's maternal mortality data, which comes from death certificates, has long been scrutinized. More than a decade ago, the research group noted that many deaths among pregnant women were not being counted because of a problem with medical coding. (Edwards, 5/2)
On menopause, preeclampsia, and maternal mental health —
NPR: Benefits Of Hormone Therapy For Menopause Symptoms Outweigh Risks, Study Finds
The benefits of hormone therapy for the treatment of menopause symptoms outweigh the risks. That's the conclusion of a new study published in the medical journal JAMA. "Among women below the age of 60, we found hormone therapy has low risk of adverse events and [is] safe for treating bothersome hot flashes, night sweats and other menopausal symptoms, " says study author Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. This is a departure from the advice many women have been given in the past. (Aubrey, 5/1)
The New York Times: Aspirin Can Prevent A Deadly Pregnancy Complication. Why Aren’t Women Told?
Baby aspirin is routinely prescribed to people who survive heart attacks. But there’s another vulnerable group who benefit from daily low-dose aspirin: pregnant women at risk of developing pre-eclampsia, life-threatening high blood pressure. But not enough pregnant women are getting the word that low-dose aspirin can help. Now leading experts are hoping to change that. (Rabin, 5/1)
CNN: Why Is A Mother’s Mental Health So Important? A Doctor Explains
In many countries, up to 1 in 5 new mothers experience a mood or anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, these conditions often go undiagnosed and untreated due to lack of awareness and stigma, and everyone pays the price. (Hetter, 5/1)
