Trends in maternal mortality in the United States

•Maternal mortality is a major global concern.•The numbers of deaths in the U.S. have steadily increased to a high of 17.8 deaths per 100,000 live births from 1987 to 2011.•The reasons for the overall increase in MMR are not clear.

Maternal mortality is a major global concern. Although a notable decline in maternal mortality in the United States occurred during the mid-20th century, this progress stalled during the late 20th century. Furthermore, maternal mortality rates have increased during the early 21st century. Around the year 2000 the maternal mortality rate began to rise and has since nearly doubled. Given that at least half of maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable, the rise in maternal deaths in the U.S. is historic and worrisome. This overview will try to provide a context for understanding the problem of this rise in maternal mortality in the U.S. by briefly discussing how maternal mortality rates are reported from National Vital Statistics data and from a National Surveillance system. Trends and causes of maternal deaths and the difficulty with interpreting these trends will be discussed.