Maternal deaths are on the rise in the United States, and new data shows that the blame may be shifting. While hospitals and doctors often choose to blame moms when childbirth doesn’t go as planned, new data shows it isn’t that straightforward.
The Numbers Never Lie
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 700 women die each year in the U.S. as a result of delivery complications or pregnancy. Even more shockingly, the CDC suggests more than half of those deaths could have been prevented. Furthermore, black women are three to four times more likely to die because of childbirth than white women. Between 2000 and 2014, maternal death during or after childbirth rose by 27 percent, a statistic published in a report in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Although maternal death is still relatively rare, the fact that we are seeing more deaths in the U.S. than in the past is definitely an area of concern. Perhaps the most disturbing part of this all is that not only do hospitals usually blame the mothers, but new studies are showing it is quite the opposite. Hospitals have always blamed maternal deaths on “problems beyond their control” such as poverty and pre-existing medical conditions. However, an investigation by USA Today shows that some of the most recent maternal deaths occurred because of misdiagnosis, delayed care, and a failure to follow safety measures.
Medical Malpractice a Growing Concern
Mistakes happen and things go wrong, but the fact that medical malpractice is the third-leading cause of death in the United States shows that people are dying because of circumstances that could have been avoided. Demographics certainly plays a role in this as well, as studies have shown that women in outlier hospitals are twice as likely to have blood transfusions, hysterectomies, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and other complications that can result in deadly childbirth deliveries.
So, what does this mean and what can we do about it? For starters, the focus needs to shift to these hospitals with the highest maternal deaths and injuries. By looking at what, exactly, is going wrong in these hospitals, it should help us understand how the same mistakes can be prevented down the road. While the majority of doctors and nurses alike throughout the country undoubtedly believe they are providing the same high-level of care to all patients, numerous studies are showing that this is not the case. Factors such as lifestyle diseases, the high cost of healthcare, delaying treatment, lack of care coordination, high rates of poverty and morbidity, and poor health all contribute to the rise in maternal deaths, but so does medical negligence.
As leading McKinney personal injury lawyers, it is our duty to represent victims of these types of crimes. Many of these unfortunate deaths could have been prevented, and it is time we work together to protect women and children of all backgrounds. In most parts of the country, childbirth complicated deaths were rare, but in a small group of hospitals used for USA Today’s report, it was learned that in one out of eight hospitals women go through potentially deadly deliveries happen twice as often as other hospitals. If you have experienced complications with childbirth, please contact Wormington & Bollinger today to schedule a free consultation.