Maternal Mortality in the United States: An Outlying Social Phenomenon in the Industrialized World

Maternal mortality rates claim the lives of over 300,000 individuals per year, with most of these deaths taking place in low to middle-income nations. Since 1990, maternal mortality rates have declined significantly with a global reduction from 385 to 216 maternal deaths per 100,000 births; an average decline of 2.9% per year. While this is an honorable reduction, there are outlying nations that experience higher than normal maternal mortality rates given their region and circumstance. While many studies focus on lower to middle-income nations for maternal mortality associated with lack of medical access and evolved care, there is also the reality that some industrialized countries experience high rates of maternal mortality, most notably, the United States