2016 U.S. maternal mortality study

by admin
August 10, 2017 News

A 2016 Obstetrics and Gynecology study found U.S. maternal mortality increased by more than 25 percent from 2000 to 2014. The trend differed by state, with California showing declines and Texas showing significant increases.  Many postulate the Texas maternal mortality rate, which doubled from 2000 to 2014, is the result of changes in family planning in that state.  In 2011, the family planning budget was significantly reduced in an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood.  And in 2013 about one-half of state clinics, which provide abortion in addition to other reproductive health services, were closed due to state regulations passed in 2013.  Family planning matters because about 50 percent of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, and those women may lack preventive care that properly planned pregnancies may have.  Increased U.S. maternal mortality rates may also be linked to increases in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and opioid addiction. – Sourced from the Journal of American Medical Association