Gerald Hanks
A study in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that Texas has the highest number of pregnancy-related deaths in the entire developed world. The study showed that the mortality rate for women who had recently given birth was 35.8 per 100,000 live births as of 2014. As a point of comparison, data from a UNICEF 2015 study showed that the maternity mortality rate in Poland was only 3 deaths per 100,000 live births.
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The Texas Legislature commissioned a Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force in 2013. The task force has developed some theories as to why the death rate is so high across the state. However, it says that more research is required before it can reach any definitive conclusions or make any recommendations.
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According to the task force’s 2016 report, several health factors could be attributed to the state’s higher mortality rates for mothers. The report mentioned obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure among the issues, as well as mothers who give birth later in life.
Dr. Lisa Hollier, chair of the task force and president-elect of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, stated that “(T)he frequency of those conditions has also been increasing in Texas over time.”
The task force’s report also included demographic data on the impact of the problem. The report showed that African-American mothers accounted for nearly 30 percent of maternal deaths across the state, even though they made up just 11 percent of the state’s live births.
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The current mandate for the task force insures that it will receive funding until 2019. State Rep. Shawn Thierry, who also suffered from a life-threatening episode when she gave birth to her daughter in 2012, is sponsoring a bill that would extend funding for the task force to continue its work until 2026.
