“Too many Alabama women die each year from complications related to pregnancy”

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is reporting an increase in deaths among pregnant women.

In a recent press release, the ADPH states how too many Alabama women are dying each year from complications related to pregnancy, with these deaths happening during and up to a year after pregnancy.

That’s why the ADPH is sounding the alarm to protect mothers across the state. One way it’s doing this is through the CDC’s Hear Her campaign, which “seeks to raise awareness of urgent maternal warning signs during and after pregnancy.”

Each year, the ADPH Maternal Mortality Review Program (AL-MMRC) reviews deaths among pregnant women. Since 2016, there has been a common find: an increase in deaths.

Key findings for the 2018-2019 study, which is the most recent, are listed below:

After reviewing the 93 deaths from 2018-2019, the AL-MMRC determined that 24 of the deaths were pregnancy-related.
The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths were infection, cardiovascular, and hemorrhage.
25% of pregnancy-related deaths occurred during pregnancy, 50% were pregnant within 42 days of death, and 25% were pregnant 43 days to 1 year before death.
15 of the 24 pregnancy-related deaths were determined to be preventable by the AL-MMRC.
In 2018, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for Black, non-Hispanic women was 33.6. For White, non-Hispanic women, it was 17.4. In 2019, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for Black, non-Hispanic women was 26.9. For White, non-Hispanic women, it was 17.5.

“From our most recent report, which was reviews from death in 2018 and 2019, infection was the leading cause of death at that time,” Lindsay Harris, the Maternal Mortality Review Program coordinator, said.

This means any fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit is important for the pregnant patient’s doctor to know about.

The second leading cause of death is cardiovascular.

“If they have trouble breathing or if your heart rate seems faster than normal, or if there is chest pain or abnormal beats,” Harris said.

The third leading cause of death was hemorrhage.

“More bleeding than they are expected to have,” Harris said. “Usually, the nurses or physicians will tell them, ‘Expect this amount,’ or if you have more than this amount then let your doctor know.”

To bring signs and symptoms like these to the forefront, the CDC established the Hear Her campaign.

The ADPH is making it their job to help get the word out to Alabamians.

“These things are happening,” Harris said. “I think a lot of people are not aware they are happening.”

The list of warning signs can be overwhelming. Those signs of concern include:

Severe headache that won’t go away or gets worse over time.
Dizziness or fainting.
Thoughts about harming yourself or your baby.
Changes in your vision.
Fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher.
Extreme swelling of your hands or face.
Trouble breathing.
Chest pain or fast-beating heart.
Severe nausea and throwing up (not like morning sickness).
Severe belly pain that doesn’t go away.
Baby’s movement stopping or slowing down during pregnancy.
Vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking during pregnancy.
Heavy vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid after pregnancy.
Swelling, redness, or pain of your leg.
Overwhelming tiredness.

“We just want the patients and the family members and their care providers and anybody in the community to know these warning signs and to know when it’s important to speak up,” Harris said.

When it comes to bringing the concerns to your doctor, having someone there to support you, such as your partner, a parent, or a friend, can help.

“Trying to talk to your provider as if they weren’t necessarily your physician but more like someone you can trust that you can talk to,” Harris said.

The patient needs to be open and honest with their provider. Always tell them if you were recently pregnant, even if the baby is almost a year old.

The ADPH is currently working on the latest maternal mortality review. Harris hopes it will be out early next year.

Click here to read more about the CDC’s Hear Her Campaign.

Click here to read more about the ADPH Maternal Mortality Review Program.

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