You didn't read your chart very carefully, and have quoted completely ERRONEOUS data. Go back and look at the chart again. You quoted deaths per entire COUNTRY, not deaths per 100,000.
The correct figures are (deaths per 100,000):
US - 11
UK - 8
Switzerland - 5
Sweden - 3
Norway - 7
Netherlands - 6
Moreover, it is not a coincidence that the countries with lower rates of maternal mortality are among the "whitest" countries in the world. Race is a risk factor for maternal mortality, partly for socio-economic reasons, and partly for reasons we do not understand. The maternal mortality rate for white women and for minority women are almost the same in these countries as they are in the US. The difference is that the US has a larger proportion of women of color in the industrialized world.
The leading causes of maternal mortality in 2005 were pre-existing medical conditions, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and hemorrhage, among others. Contributing factors include advanced maternal age, and increasing numbers of pregnancies involving twins or higher order pregnancies.
The keys to lowering maternal mortality are improved prenatal care, improved healthcare in general, and increasing healthcare access for minority women.
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You didn't read your chart very carefully, and have quoted completely ERRONEOUS data. Go back and look at the chart again. You quoted deaths per entire COUNTRY, not deaths per 100,000.
The correct figures are (deaths per 100,000):
US - 11
UK - 8
Switzerland - 5
Sweden - 3
Norway - 7
Netherlands - 6
Moreover, it is not a coincidence that the countries with lower rates of maternal mortality are among the "whitest" countries in the world. Race is a risk factor for maternal mortality, partly for socio-economic reasons, and partly for reasons we do not understand. The maternal mortality rate for white women and for minority women are almost the same in these countries as they are in the US. The difference is that the US has a larger proportion of women of color in the industrialized world.
The leading causes of maternal mortality in 2005 were pre-existing medical conditions, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and hemorrhage, among others. Contributing factors include advanced maternal age, and increasing numbers of pregnancies involving twins or higher order pregnancies.
The keys to lowering maternal mortality are improved prenatal care, improved healthcare in general, and increasing healthcare access for minority women.
Amy Tuteur, MD
July 16, 2008 - 7:18amThis Comment
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