CHICAGO MATERNAL DEATH LAWYER

History of Maternal Death During Childbirth

Up until modern medicine and technology came around, nearly every country had high maternal mortality rates, with maternal deaths occurring almost every 100th to 200th birth. It’s important to note that before the modern era, most pregnant and birthing people had an average of 7 children because not only were maternal deaths high at the time, but so were child deaths. So women would have upwards of 7 children in hopes that 2 or 3 of them would survive past the age of 5 years old. Now, most women have an average of 2 children, both of which have a high probability of surviving childhood. This is a partial reason why global maternal deaths are much lower now than they used to be.

The biggest reason why the number of maternal deaths has steadily decreased over the last few centuries is because our health system has found ways to decrease preventable maternal mortality on a global scale. Preventable maternal mortality refers to maternal deaths occurring due to pregnancy complications, birthing complications, unsafe abortion, and postpartum mental health conditions. In order to prevent maternal death, most countries now provide high quality maternal health services, including family planning services, reproductive health education, prenatal care, postpartum mental health care, and more. Additionally, nutrition and infection control is much better than it used to be even a century ago, which has also played a huge role in reducing maternal mortality across the globe.

Common Causes of Maternal Death During Childbirth

When measuring maternal mortality, it’s crucial to look at why maternal deaths occur in the first place so that we can make more strides in saving lives.

In the last several years, maternal deaths occurred in the U.S. due to the following reasons:

• Preeclampsia is a dangerous health condition characterized by extremely high blood pressure and excessive protein in the urine after the 20th week of pregnancy. If this condition goes untreated, both the mother and baby can suffer life-threatening health complications, and even death. In severe cases, pregnant women can experience organ failure.
• Gestational Diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women must be tested for gestational diabetes during their second trimester so that doctors can help the woman manage it through diet, exercise, and other medical intervention. Unmanaged gestational diabetes can result in complications such as preeclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage during birth, both of which can be fatal.
• Placenta Previa is a pregnancy complication in which the placenta sits much lower than normal in the uterus. As a result, the placenta covers a large portion of the cervical opening at the top of the vagina. During the last trimester of pregnancy and during birth, women with placenta previa often experience severe bleeding. Placenta previa can become life-threatening without proper health care. It is one of the valid reasons for an emergency C-section. Usually, a blood transfusion and an emergency C-section is the best treatment.
• Uterine Rupture is rare, but can happen in women who attempt a vaginal birth after having a previous C-section. We’re often asked, “Can a car accident cause a miscarriage?” Yes, this can also happen to pregnant women who have experienced major physical trauma, such as a car accident.A uterine rupture occurs when the wall of the uterus tears open. Both mother and baby can suffer life-threatening complications and death without immediate medical intervention.
• Placental Abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the uterine wall before birth. Again, without immediate medical intervention, this pregnancy complication can be fatal to both mother and baby.
• Cardiac Issues such as heart disease are also common causes of maternal deaths. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic states that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of pregnancy complications in the U.S. If the mother has pre-existing cardiac issues prior to pregnancy and birth, she is at a higher risk of suffering fatal health complications. But women who have no prior history of cardiac issues can also suffer from complications. That’s because pregnancy and birth puts a massive strain on the entire body, including the heart and circulatory system. During pregnancy, overall blood volume nearly doubles. This means increased heart rate and increased cardiac output. Without proper medical care, cardiac issues during pregnancy can go unnoticed and untreated, resulting in death.
• Infections that go untreated during or after birth that lead to the three stages of sepsis. Untreated and unmanaged sepsis can also be fatal for new mothers.
• Postpartum Hemorrhaging: Birth is a beautiful thing, but it’s also very violent on a woman’s body. Some women may experience severe bleeding after a vaginal birth or a C-section. Doctors must act quickly to stop the bleeding and restore the woman’s blood volume.
• C-Section Errors: Surgeons still make mistakes despite years of professional medical training. These mistakes can happen during emergency C-sections when all healthcare providers must act fast to save the mother and the baby. C-section errors can result in life-threatening complications, including severe bleeding and infections, both of which can be fatal.