Student Researcher: Erin Galbraith
Unlike many countries, the United States does not have an accurate statistic regarding the maternal death rate. This could be because not all 50 states have the same death-certificate form and most of these death-certificates do not ask the question of “if the deceased woman had been pregnant in the weeks or months preceding her death.” Many women, although there is not a specific number, die from a hemorrhage that is caused after giving birth but is left unnoticed. After giving birth women are discharged from the hospital too early for some problems to be detected. “Making post-birth home visits, from midwives or nurses, part of the standard maternity care package in the US is only one of the steps that our country should take to reduce the maternal death rate.”
“Masking Maternal Mortality Part 1” Ina May Gaskin, Mothering, 3/4/08 http://www.inamay.com/archive/view_article.php?Article_ID=37&page_number=1