All-Cause Maternal Mortality in the US Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Marie E. Thoma, Eugene Declercq
Abstract
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported an 18.4% increase in US maternal mortality (ie, death during pregnancy or within 42 days of pregnancy) between 2019 and 2020. The relative increase was 44.4% among Hispanic, 25.7% among non-Hispanic Black, and 6.1% among non-Hispanic White women.1 Given a 16.8% increase in overall US mortality in 2020, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic,2 we examined the pandemic’s role in 2020 maternal death rates.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Pandemic2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)VirologyCoronavirus InfectionsMedicineInternal medicineInfectious disease (medical specialty)OutbreakDiseaseCOVID-19 Impact on ReproductionGlobal Maternal and Child HealthMaternal and fetal healthcare