Among the 55 World Bank-identified high-income countries for which the World Health Organization (WHO) also provides maternal mortality estimates, the WHO reported a median maternal mortality rate of 7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019. Some countries, such as Poland, Norway, and Israel, report figures at or below 3 deaths per 100,000. Within those rankings, the WHO put the United States 45th, at almost 20 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. That’s a dismal showing for so wealthy a country—and one that’s produced an enormous amount of commentary blaming the high rate on everything from cesarean sections to aging mothers to racism.
However, these figures are completely wrong, and they have been known to be wrong for many years now. The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, the branch of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) charged with collating health and vital statistics, has published three separate reports elaborating in excruciating detail on one crucial fact about U.S. maternal mortality: It is measured in a vastly more expansive way than anywhere else in the world.
As a result, U.S. maternal mortality is overestimated by two to three times. Properly measured, the real U.S. maternal mortality rate in 2019 was 9.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, which would put it at 36th place—still not impressive by comparison, but somewhat better than Canada and a bit worse than Finland or the United Kingdom. And as we’ll see, even that rate may have more to do with U.S. mortality as a whole than with specific pregnancy-related issues.
And I'll tack on the critical conclusion which I think helps contextualize the above better:
And I'll tack on the critical conclusion which I think helps contextualize the above better:
Rather than panning the United States for its high measured rates, other countries should do the work of improving their statistical systems to cast as wide a net as the U.S. one, and as expansively measure the health and mortality risks that pregnant women bear.
Regardless of statistics there are things in the US we can certainly do better given the resources at hand. I feel like these types of reports are susceptible to hijacking by those with ill intent...
Regardless of statistics there are things in the US we can certainly do better given the resources at hand. I feel like these types of reports are susceptible to hijacking by those with ill intent to excuse the obvious and glaring failures of the paywalled American healthcare system.
Yes, the implication seems to be that the other suggested causes aren't a problem at all. They are absolutely things that happen, and they still matter
Yes, the implication seems to be that the other suggested causes aren't a problem at all. They are absolutely things that happen, and they still matter
I honestly thought that these sorts of country statistics were generated from the agency that produced them. If WHO were generating these from the raw data, they can ensure that the data were all...
I honestly thought that these sorts of country statistics were generated from the agency that produced them. If WHO were generating these from the raw data, they can ensure that the data were all handled in the same way. I didn’t think they would just publish the countrys’ self reported statistics.
From the article:
And I'll tack on the critical conclusion which I think helps contextualize the above better:
It's crazy how often shockingly bad statistics actually reveal problems with everyone else rather than with the supposed failures.
Regardless of statistics there are things in the US we can certainly do better given the resources at hand. I feel like these types of reports are susceptible to hijacking by those with ill intent to excuse the obvious and glaring failures of the paywalled American healthcare system.
Yes, the implication seems to be that the other suggested causes aren't a problem at all. They are absolutely things that happen, and they still matter
Mirror, for those hit by the paywall:
https://archive.ph/Sm38N
I honestly thought that these sorts of country statistics were generated from the agency that produced them. If WHO were generating these from the raw data, they can ensure that the data were all handled in the same way. I didn’t think they would just publish the countrys’ self reported statistics.