Maternal mental health conditions drive climbing death rate in US, research says

[ck4829]

Maternal mental illness is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the US, according to a new evidence review, but national initiatives developed to combat the issue often fail to prioritize mental health.

The maternal mortality rate in the US is two- to threefold greater than in other high-income countries, and it has only increased in recent years, according to the review, which was published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

The new review examined 30 recent studies and 15 historical references to highlight the underrecognized contribution of mental illness to maternal mortality.

The researchers determined that mental health disorders such as suicide and opioid overdose are responsible for nearly 1 in 4 maternal deaths in the US. That’s almost double the rate of maternal death from postpartum hemorrhage, the second leading cause of pregnancy-related death, according to the reports from three dozen maternal morbidity and mortality review committees, state-based organizations that review maternal deaths.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/health/maternal-mental-health-mortality/index.html

"only increased in recent years" Huh.