FRIDAY, April 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. maternal mortality ratio (MMR) increased significantly from 2014 to 2021, with the fastest increase since 2019, a study published online March 18 said. According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Zachary H. Hughes, M.D., of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues examined changes in age distribution and MMR in the United States from 2014 to 2021. The analysis included data on women ages 15 to 44 identified from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Database.
Researchers found that during the study period, the average age of women giving birth changed from 28.3 to 29.4 years, and MMR increased significantly from 16.5 to 18.9 years per 100,000 live births by 2019. did. MMR acceleration jumped to 31.8 years by 2021. Maternal age distribution accounted for 36% of the total change in her MMR from 2014 to 2019 and 4% from 2019 to 2021. From 2014, the age-specific MMR component of mothers aged 25 to 29 and their mothers aged 30 to 34 increased significantly. All 5-year age groups saw an increase in age-specific MMR from 2019 to 2021, with the exception of the 15-19 age group.
“Most maternal deaths are preventable, so it’s important to understand what causes them and how they can be prevented,” co-author Dr. Sadiya Khan, also of Northwestern University, said in a statement. It’s important.” “While some states, such as Illinois, have established maternal mortality review boards, we also need better national infrastructure and surveillance programs to investigate and address the root causes of the maternal health crisis.”
