Pregnancy and childbirth are far more dangerous for American women — especially Black women — than for women in other high-income nations. This continues to be true despite a decline in the U.S. maternal mortality rate since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Commonwealth Fund study finds.
Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison examines maternal health outcomes across Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among the findings:
- Nearly two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. occur after birth.
- The U.S. has a severe shortage of maternity care providers, especially midwives.
- The U.S. is the only high-income country surveyed that does not guarantee paid parental leave or home visits to mothers after childbirth.
The study’s authors say the U.S. could learn a lot from other nations’ approaches to maternity care, especially policies and programs related to postpartum support and workforce composition.
