New York's Maternal Health: A Hidden Crisis

The United States faces a significant challenge with maternal health. It has a higher maternal death rate compared to most other wealthy nations. The rate is more than 2. 5 times higher than in France and Canada and 3. 5 times higher than in the United Kingdom. New York State has seen a troubling increase in maternal deaths. From 2018 to 2021, the state experienced a 33% rise in these tragic events. During this period, for every 100, 000 live births, there were 18. 5 maternal deaths. This issue is not just about numbers; it highlights deep racial and ethnic disparities. Black women in New York City are dying at a rate six times higher than white women, and Hispanic women are dying at a rate three times higher. This is a stark reminder of the inequalities that persist in healthcare. The situation is even more alarming when considering that about three in every four of these deaths from 2018 to 2020 were preventable. This means that with better care and attention, many of these lives could have been saved. The crisis is clear and urgent, but there is a significant gap in the information needed to address it effectively. Over the past decade, crucial data has been missing. Information on how many women experienced heart attacks or sepsis during pregnancy, needed resuscitation, massive transfusions, or ventilators to survive labor, or were admitted to the ICU after giving birth is not tracked. This data is vital for understanding the full scope of the problem and developing effective solutions. Without it, efforts to improve maternal health are severely hindered. New York State is falling behind other states in tracking severe maternal morbidity. States like Arizona, Connecticut, and California have systems in place to gather and use this data. California, for example, has a maternal mortality rate half that of New York. This is partly because California collects and makes maternal morbidity data accessible to the public, allowing for better-informed decisions and improved healthcare outcomes. New York needs to follow suit and implement a severe morbidity tracking system. This system should collect detailed information, including age, race, ethnicity, insurance, neighborhood of residence, and type of morbidity. Making this data accessible to various stakeholders, including hospital systems, policymakers, and community organizations, would promote better collaboration and more informed decisions. It would also help hold medical institutions accountable and ensure that protocols are followed. Historically, New York State has not fully utilized data to gain insights into health risks and formulate plans to mitigate them. The recent audit into the state's maternal health progress highlights this issue. Tracking and analyzing morbidity data would provide a clearer picture of the conditions that could lead to tragic outcomes. It would also demonstrate the state's commitment to improving outcomes for new and expecting families. Maternal mortality should not be the only measure of maternal health. Simply surviving pregnancy is not enough.