Postpartum Cliffs—Missed Opportunities to Promote Maternal Health in the United States
Jessica Cohen, Jamie R. Daw
Abstract
In April 2021, the Biden-Harris administration signed a proclamation committing to address the maternal health crisis in America, where the maternal mortality rate is far higher than comparable countries and Black and Indigenous people are 2 to 3 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than White people. 1 Tangible improvements in maternal health will require coordinated clinical and policy changes to improve support during the postpartum year, when half of pregnancyrelated mortality and a substantial share of maternal morbidity occur. Soon after delivery, patients face a multidimensional postpartum "cliff," including insurance interruptions, incomplete handoffs between obstetrician-gynecologists and other physicians, and limited quality monitoring and accountability.