Examination of pregnancy related deaths in Georgia

Georgia had the second highest maternal mortality rate in the United States, with 66.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021. In an article for Women's Health, Faculty Associate Manouchehr Mokhtari and his colleagues examine pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia using measures of timing and cause-specific mortality across different maternal sociodemographic characteristics. 

To examine pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia, the research team utilized a cross-sectional study that collected state-level maternal mortality data from 2016-2019 and applied two population-level measures of timing and causes of death patterned by sociodemographic groups of women. Pregnancy-related deaths were assessed at four different time points, and the leading underlying causes of death were examined according to frequency rank order across the four time points of death.

It was found that about 23% of all deaths occurred during pregnancy and 48% within 60 days postpartum. Disparities in these deaths were seen across all sociodemographic groups of women. Non-Hispanic Black women had "two-fold higher rates of death than non-Hispanic White women, and almost half of deaths occurred among 25–34-year-old and less educated women."

Mokhtari and his colleagues conclude by highlighting that this research will bring forward the need for strengthening surveillance efforts, especially in areas where data are limited, and involve public health in improving the availability of quality maternal data. In addition, this may spark an interest in "expanding an operative partnership between hospitals in Georgia and Regional Perinatal Centers and convince policy makers to prevent or reduce closures of hospitals and labor / delivery units."

Kondracki AJ, Li W, Mokhtari M, Muchandi B, Ashby JA, Barkin JL. (2024). Pregnancy-related maternal mortality in the state of Georgia: Timing and causes of death. Women’s Health. 20. doi:10.1177/17455057241267103.