A recent article revealed that there are higher death rates of pregnant women in New York http://nyti.ms/cNfH9n than just about any other state in the US. Overall, maternal death rate is rising across the country, which is quite boggling when there are so many resources available to women here (or so we think).
What do you think is or is not happening? Why do you think maternal death rates are on the rise? What do you think should be done about it?
Tags: baby, death, health, maternal, mother, New York, pregnancy, United States
Unfortunately, poverty and ignorance still carry heavy weight in our country. Limited access to education/information and medical care keeps many women from seeking or getting needed prenatal care. The current economy has made it doubly harder for lower and working class individuals to receive QUALITY medical care and even now our middle and upper-middle class families struggle to maintain the insurance premiums that are supposed to guarantee medical care–which is deteriorating, by the way. I would say that another contributing factor is teen pregnancy. As that statistic rises, we see an increase of pregnant young girls who for reasons such as fear or ignorance, are not seeking or getting the proper care early enough.
We need to take a look at better informing and educating women and men on the importance of prenatal care and how we are disseminating that information. The primary means should not be the doctor’s office or the community clinic, because we are obviously not reaching enough people this way. Instead present it where the people are, be the grocery stores, the beauty parlor/ barber shops, etc. Bring the information to them.
I think pregnancy death rates needs more awareness and publicity from the media. There are many campaigns that exist today that promote healthy living and wellness that people now engage in. For example, the Million Pound Challenge has encouraged many people to lose weight. The First Lady has tackled childhood obesity and sodium intake and people are changing their life styles. Also, pregnancy death rates would be a good point to raise when we speak of nationwide health care because better health care improves the quality of life for all of us. I think we can start by educating our communities and if there is a health organization, utilize the media along with celebrities. Look at what Jenny McCarthy has done for Autism.