A CDC report released in March identified a 40% increase in maternal mortality in the U.S. in 2021 compared with 2020 and a mortality rate 2.6 times higher among Black women compared with white women.
More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, according to 2017-2019 data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees, which are representatives of diverse clinical and non-clinical backgrounds who review the circumstances around pregnancy-related deaths to identify recommendations to prevent future deaths.