Researchers Find Leading Causes Of Death Among Pregnant And Postpartum Women

Researchers astatine Columbia University have found that accidental supplier overdose, homicide, and suicide are the leading causes of death among pregnant and postpartum women. 

The findings were published successful nan New England Journal of Medicine. 

"Overdose and violence are not typically on our radar when it comes to thinking about approaches to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, but these events are far much communal among pregnant and postpartum women than we think," says Hooman Azad, who led nan study and is simply a maternal-fetal medicine chap successful nan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology astatine Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

The researchers used accusation connected decease certificates to identify all pregnant and postpartum women (within 42 days of delivery) who died in nan United States between 2018 and 2023. 

Their study revealed that accidental overdose was nan starring origin of death among pregnant aliases postpartum women (5.2 deaths per 100,000 births), followed by homicide and suicide (combined for 3.9 deaths per 100,000 births). Accidental overdose and suicide were more common among white women; homicide was much predominant among Black women. Over three-quarters of convulsive deaths progressive firearms. 

Except for an summation during nan COVID-19 pandemic, nan wide maternal decease complaint remained dependable complete nan six-year period. 

Over half of deaths owed to accidental overdose and violence occurred during pregnancy, whereas the adjacent 4 astir common causes of death-cardiovascular disease, infection, hypertension, and hemorrhage-occurred much often successful the immediate postpartum period. 

As interventions to prevent and treat medical complications during gestation and postpartum have become more widespread over nan past 2 decades, multiple studies person shown that accidental overdose and violence have accounted for increasing numbers of maternal deaths. But until recently, a deficiency of standardized data-due to different methods for documenting gestation successful decease records-has made it difficult to way these trends. 

The take-home connection is that we whitethorn not do arsenic bully a occupation successful screening for drug usage and friendly partner violence among our pregnant patients arsenic we do for medical complications. We person an opportunity to refocus our efforts connected preventing drug overdose and unit with multidisciplinary attraction that includes referrals to mental wellness care and societal services throughout pregnancy-which could prevention hundreds of lives." 

Hooman Azad, maternal-fetal medicine fellow, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons