The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations. Ranked on the spectrum of preventable loss, it is distressing that the US faces a maternal death rate that has only escalated over the decades. Maternal mortality is a critical indicator of a nation's healthcare system, encompassing death due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. Deaths from all causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, excluding accidental or incidental causes, contribute to this rate.
Recent analysis shows that, far from improvement, the crisis seems to be worsening, with the U.S. suffering an average of 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, based on 2018 data. Evoking alarm is the fact that the U.S. stands alone as the only developed country experiencing a rise in maternal mortality rates.