Fighting Maternal Mortality During a Pandemic

Statement

In previous newsletters, I've written about the rise of maternal mortality and our federal response to the U.S.'s high rates of maternal complications or death during childbirth. The coronavirus has created a new set of challenges for expecting and new mothers from seemingly small concerns like who can be in the delivery room with them to major concerns like mitigating possible exposures to the virus for the mother and child during delivery. There are many aspects of our lives that can't stop even amid a pandemic, and childbirth is one of them. Hospitals across the country have stepped up to protect mothers and their newborns during this joyous time in their lives, and it's important to ensure hospitals have the resources they need to facilitate a safe birth experience in the midst of unprecedented circumstances.

There is conflicting evidence about whether an expecting mother can pass the coronavirus to her baby in utero, but doctors are taking every precaution to ensure that it doesn't happen. Many hospitals are requiring patients to undergo risk assessment screenings before entry and limiting the number of people who can enter the maternity ward so the risk of an infected individual spreading the virus is diminished. Recent reports indicate that maternity wards are still well equipped with beds and medical supplies, and these proactive measures will help ensure they stay this way. Despite the lack of research, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) caution that while pregnant women may not be at an increased risk for contracting COVID-19, they should still be treated as an at-risk population given that pregnant women have had a higher risk of severe illness when infected with respiratory infections and other viruses similar to COVID-19.

Maternal mortality rates have disproportionately impacted the black community, making black mothers three to four times more likely to develop a serious complication or die in childbirth than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. We are also seeing a similar trend as the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the African American community are higher than those of other races. The coronavirus has the potential to exacerbate the number of maternal mortality cases among black women and could prove to be especially dangerous absent significant intervention and preventative measures. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has dedicated over $700 million to researching and mitigating pregnancy-related complications and deaths, but more needs to be done to ensure that the coronavirus does not undo the progress we've made.

Now more than ever, we want to ensure that women giving birth during this pandemic are able to do so without fear of contracting the coronavirus. This virus has the potential to worsen maternal morbidity and mortality, which is why it is paramount that hospitals have the resources they need to provide a safe delivery environment that minimizes exposure to the coronavirus during and after birth. While new mothers who give birth during this pandemic will undoubtedly have a different experience, it's important that exposure to this virus does not become part of it.

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