Wednesday, August 15, 2018
How is it that the United States is "the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world?" Mike Collins examines the causes and solutions.
The United States is the "most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world." That's the finding of a new investigation from USA Today, which found that while most give birth without incident, 50,000 women are severely injured and 700 die due to problems in childbirth.
A special NPR-ProPublica investigative series found similar results. While other countries are improving childbirth outcomes, the U.S. is the only country in the industrialized world where the rate of women who die from pregnancy-related complications is rising.
These recent reports have found that hospitals are inadequately prepared to deal with maternal emergencies and treatable complications can often become deadly. Some of the causes are devastatingly simple and preventable – excessive bleeding and high blood pressure are two of the top causes of maternal death in America.
Why is this happening? We look for answers, find out how our state ranks, and discuss what's being done locally to fix the problem.
Guests
Alison Young, Investigative Reporter, USA Today. She reported for their 'Deadly Deliveries' series about the high maternal mortality rate in the U.S.
Dr. Amelia Sutton, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Novant Health
Dr. Saju Joy, Obstetrician-Gynecologist and chief medical officer at CHS-Pineville
Sarah Verbiest, Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC School of Social Work and the Executive Director of the Center for Maternal & Infant Health in the UNC School of Medicine
Related reading:
USA Today series Deadly Deliveries
Patient Tips for a Safer Birth from USA Today
NPR/ProPublica series Lost Mothers
