C1 - Overview of Pregnancy-Related Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity In the United States

This talk will present a brief review of the historical trends in maternal mortality in the United States and discuss how identification of these events depends on how maternal and pregnancy-related mortality is defined. The most current national data will be used to describe the causes of pregnancy-related deaths, how the risk of pregnancy-related death varies by age, and the persistent racial disparity in risk. Finally, the concept that deaths are the “tip of the iceberg” will be used to introduce the audience to how identification and review of cases of severe maternal morbidity can be used to improve quality of care for pregnant and postpartum women.