MBRRACE-UK has published its latest maternal mortality figures, covering the period 2020-2022. The data show that the proportion of mums and birthing people dying during or shortly after pregnancy is the highest for twenty years. This is the case even when deaths due to COVID-19 were excluded.
The figures illustrate an urgent need for government and senior leaders to work to improve maternal health – including addressing health inequalities – in order to reduce preventable deaths.
Sadly, many deaths were due to preventable causes
The leading causes of maternal death in 2020-2022 were thrombosis and thromboembolism (blood clotting), COVID-19, cardiac (heart) disease, and issues related to mental health.
When compared with white women, women from Black ethnic backgrounds were three times more likely to die during or after pregnancy, and women from Asian ethnic backgrounds were almost twice as likely to die. The data show an increase in the maternal mortality rate amongst white women.
Furthermore, women living in the most deprived areas were twice as likely to die when compared with those living in the least deprived areas.
Training for health professionals should consider avoidable harm themes in maternal mortality
Baby Lifeline’s Mind the Gap research, which analysed training for UK maternity professionals in the 2020-21 financial year, found that training priorities did not reflect the leading causes of direct and indirect maternal death:
- Around half of organisations considered training in medical comorbidities (such as pre-existing medical problems) to be mandatory for their maternity staff
- Fewer than 40% of organisations trained staff in thromboembolism
- Training in psychiatric content (which we defined as including training in perinatal mental health and substance misuse) was provided by just over half of organisations (53%).
Our research found that organisations faced increased barriers to providing training, including the impact of COVID-19, venue restrictions and staffing.
Our thoughts are with the families of the 293 women that died.