Texas residents who are starting a family or adding to it by having a baby will undoubtedly be happy and enthusiastic as the event draws near. There are many things to consider with having a new baby and one that has thankfully been reduced is danger to the mother. Whereas women were once prone to injury and death related to childbirth, that fear has largely been reduced to a near-afterthought. However, new research indicates that the U.S. has had a worrisome number of maternal fatalities related to a pregnancy. People who have suffered the loss of a loved one in these circumstances should be aware of the percentage of these deaths that were deemed preventable.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report saying that there are approximately 700 pregnancy-related maternal deaths each year. A substantial percentage were preventable. Splitting these into categories, 31% percent occurred during the pregnancy; 36% occurred while the baby was being delivered or in the next week; and 33% occurred during the next year. The causes of these fatalities vary. 34% were from heart disease and stroke. Severe bleeding and the mother suffering from an infection were also prominent causes.
In its study, the CDC analyzed national statistics of maternal death between 2011 and 2015. It also assessed data from review committees in 13 states from 2013 to 2017. To consider a maternal death a pregnancy-related issue, it needed to have happened while the woman was pregnant or within the year after childbirth due to a complication from the pregnancy; stemmed from a series of events that began with the pregnancy; or have been due to a separate condition that was aggravated by the pregnancy.
Because the CDC labeled a large portion of these deaths preventable, those who have had a loved one die because of complications linked to the pregnancy should understand their rights to potentially file a lawsuit. It is a terrible experience for a mother to die because of childbirth, but when it could have been avoided had the medical professionals taken the necessary steps it is even worse. A wrongful death legal filing may be possible.