Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pandemic Pushed Maternal Deaths Up 33%: End Of Roe May Make It Worse
NBC News: ‘No Question’ That U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate Will Rise Post-Roe, Experts Say
An analysis published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open found that maternal deaths increased in 2020 by as much as 41% after the pandemic was declared. The increases were starkest for Hispanic and Black women. As states across the country curtail access to abortion, women’s health advocates and researchers foresee the maternal mortality rate and its racial disparities only getting worse — particularly because states that are banning abortion are often the ones that already have high maternal mortality rates. (Chuck, 6/30)
ABC News: US Maternal Mortality Increased 33% During Pandemic, Hitting Black And Hispanic Women Especially Hard
Hispanic women had nine more deaths per 100,000 births, a 74% increase from the years before the pandemic. Non-Hispanic Black women had 16.8 more deaths per 100,000 births, a 40% increase from previous numbers. White women, however, had only 2.9 more deaths per 100,000 births, a change of 17%. (Dumlao, 6/28)
CIDRAP: Maternal Deaths Climbed 33% During COVID-19
For underlying cause-of-death codes, the authors determined that the largest relative increase was among indirect causes (56.9%), specifically other viral diseases (2,374.7%), diseases of the respiratory system (117.7%), and diseases of the circulatory system (72.1%). Relative increases in direct causes (27.7%) were mostly associated with diabetes in pregnancy (95.9%), high blood pressure (39.0%), and other pregnancy-related conditions (48.0%). (Wappes, 6/29)
Vox: Black Women Will Suffer The Most Without Abortion Access
Black women have the highest rates of maternal mortality and pregnancy complications, and those risks will only increase if more Black women have to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. Here are the numbers that show how alarming the situation is. (Cineas, 6/29)
