Pregnancy-related deaths have fallen to pre-pandemic levels, new US data says
New government data suggests U.S. pregnancy-related deaths have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels
By Mike Stobbe
Published - May 02, 2024, 12:47 AM ET
Last Updated - May 02, 2024, 12:47 AM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. pregnancy-related deaths have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, new government data suggests.
About 680 women died last year during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, according to provisional CDC data. That’s down from 817 deaths in 2022 and 1,205 in 2021, when it was the highest level in more than 50 years.
COVID-19 seems to be the main explanation for the improvement, said Donna Hoyert, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maternal mortality researcher.
The coronavirus can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women. And, in the worst days of the pandemic, burned out physicians may have added to the risk by ignoring pregnant women’s worries, experts say.
