Empowering women: Maternal morbidity & mortality improving care one discharge at a time
Lashea Wattie
Wellstar Health System, USA
: J Womens Health, Issues Care
Abstract
The U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate has been rising. In 1990 the rate was 7.2 maternal deaths/100,000 live births. In 2011, the most recent data available, the rate was 17.8 maternal deaths/100,000 live births. Although some of the increase in maternal mortality is due to better case ascertainment, the increase and the high rates in maternal mortality compared with other high resource countries is a cause for concern. It is estimated based on maternal mortality reviews that more than half of the maternal deaths in the United States are likely preventable. At the same time rates of maternal mortality are increasing in the United States, rates are decreasing in many countries. In addition, African American women have higher rates of maternal mortality when compared to women of all other races and ethnicities. According to one study by Kassebaum, published in 2014, in 2013, nearly 25% of maternal deaths occurred antepartum period, another 25% in the intrapartum or immediately postpartum period, and almost 50% in the postpartum period up to one year. This presentation will highlight what the US is currently doing to improve patient outcomes and empower women to recognize warning signs that could be a life threatening complication after birth. I will discuss a project implemented to increase women’s access to quality information during the postpartum hospitalization. Women are the cornerstone of a healthy & prosperous world, we must act now to elminate preventable deaths and injuries, improving their outcomes and care will help save lives!
Biography
