Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States

Abstract

(JAMA. 2023;330(1):52–61. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.9043) Although the US spends more per person on health care, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) has continued to increase in the past 2 decades, while other high-income countries have been able to decrease maternal mortality. The Global Burden of Disease has studied MMRs and has estimated about 4 deaths per 100,000 live births to 44 deaths per 100,000 live births in high-income countries in 2019. Further, in the non-Hispanic Black population and non-Hispanic White population, MMRs are 2 to 4 times higher. There is a paucity of data regarding state-level trends of maternal mortality in many states. This study provided estimates of MMRs by state to support the development of maternal mortality surveillance.