Study unveils maternal mortality tracking trends
Delve into the implications of a study investigating maternal mortality tracking methods in the United States, as OB Hospitalist Group's Chief Medical Officer, Mark Simon, MD, highlights critical factors often overlooked and emphasizes collaborative care for preventing deaths.
In a recent interview, Mark Simon, MD, chief medical officer at OB Hospitalist Group, discussed a recent study evaluating how maternal mortality deaths are counted.
The study aimed to track maternal deaths following changes in 2003 and 2017 to the tracking process in the United States. This change included adding a checkbox to death certificates asking if the patient was or might have been pregnant in the year before death.
The study aimed to determine if the checkbox changes the estimation of maternal mortality. Investigators found that the checkbox slightly overestimates maternal mortality causes.
Simon expressed surprise that the study did not include the number of deaths with a minor connection to maternal care. The most significant omission was mental health and substance abuse, which are common in pregnant patients. Simon believed that failing to include these factors led to an underestimation of the impact pregnancy has on maternal outcomes.
One factor that did not get enough attention according to Simon was that each maternal death is a young human being, and clinicians should do all they can to prevent these deaths. Simon believes this to be the case regardless of whether the deaths specifically or temporally related to pregnancy.
According to Simon, the research noted an improvement in obstetrically related deaths. To Simon, this indicates clinicians must stay on top of the best processes for significant maternal diseases.
Simon also noted steps expecting mothers can take to reduce their mortality risk. This includes open communication with health care providers about health history, external environment, and mental health concerns.
Teams should work together when caring for pregnant patients, Simon said. There may be multiple health care professionals managing a pregnant patient, and working together as a team will ensure the best outcomes. Simon concluded that many maternal mortality deaths are preventable, and can be prevented through cooperation by providers.
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