Missouri DHSS launches dashboard with information from August maternal mortality review
From 2017 to 2019, the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths was mental health conditions, followed by cardiovascular conditions, according to a report by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. All pregnancy-related deaths due to underlying mental conditions "were determined to be preventable."
DHSS released its 2017-19 maternal mortality review on Monday.
On Dec. 8, 2022, the department launched an interactive dashboard allowing people to view the information.
The report was put together by Missouri's Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review board, which is made of experts from various disciplines who examine causes and contributing factors of maternal mortality.
The board determined that 75% of pregnancy-related deaths from 2017 to 2019 could have been prevented.
More: Pregnancy-related deaths of Black people drives increase in 2020, CDC study shows
On average, 61 women died each year either during or within a year of pregnancy.
The pregnancy-related mortality ratio in Missouri 25.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the report. Among Black women in Missouri, the pregnancy-related mortality rate is 61.6 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Included in the report were recommendations for how these deaths could be prevented in the future, including increased provider education on mental health during and after pregnancy, substance use disorders during and after pregnancy and cardiovascular disease associated with pregnancy.
The PAMR board also recommended that the Missouri Legislature extend Medicaid coverage to one year postpartum and establish a statewide program that aids health care providers in providing evidence-based mental health care.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri's maternal mortality information available on DHSS dashboard
