Masking Maternal Mortality

I received my Mothering magazine online today, and read with great interest an article from my hero, Ina May Gaskin. 

In the United States, our infant mortality and maternal mortality rates are extremely poor for an industrialized country. In fact, we rank at the bottom, compared with the UK, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Norway. . .

And what are we doing about it? Nothing. Doctors refuse to allow VBACs, instead jumping to do a Cesarean, based on litigation fears and extra income from a C/s, and how much easier it is for them to just cut us open and take our babies rather than waiting for women to birth naturally, a process of many hours, in most cases.

And maternal deaths go largely unreported as pregnancy/labor complications. In only 21 states does the question "Was the woman pregnant in the weeks or months before her death?" get asked. Why aren't there better records? Even the media largely shows inattention to mothers who die after giving birth. Yes, it's an unpleasant topic. But if we don't know who is dying and why, how can we improve maternal services?

Every three years in Britain, a book is published called "Why Mothers Die." It looks at accurate records and is a report card of sorts of Britan, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As a result, they have been able to reduce maternal death. They have created an accurate, standarized form for reporting, and through their "Why Mothers Die" report, have been been considered the "gold standard" regarding self-audit, according to Gaskin.

The Department of Health and Human Services states that the mortality rate should be 3.3 maternal deaths per 100,000. Yet our reported numbers are around 13 per 100, 000. And the CDC has admitted that due to under and inaccurate reporting, our reported cases of maternal deaths could actually be three times greater than what the numbers say. This is completely unacceptable!!!! 

I understand this is an unpleasant topic. But ignoring it won't make it go away--it will, in fact, exascerbate this issue! How can we fix something if our professionals won't admit it's broken? We have a false sense of confidence in the hospitals and doctors, and until the reality is exposed, nothing will EVER change.