The Maternal Mortality Rate Surged in Texas in 2020 and 2021

The rate of Texas women who died because of pregnancy or childbirth rose sharply in 2020 and 2021 to the highest since the state started tracking maternal deaths, in 2013. Even excluding deaths related to COVID-19, the numbers were worse than usual, reversing two years of progress in driving the maternal mortality rate downward.The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee released a report this month analyzing pregnancy-related deaths within one year of childbirth. The committee, which works on a several-year delay, closely analyzed cases from 2020.The maternal mortality rate in 2020 was 27.7 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 17.2 in 2019. With COVID-related deaths excluded, the rate was 24.2.But the report shows, once again, that maternal mortality does not impact every community…

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