Every Healthy Baby Begins with a Healthy Mom

Maternal health in the United States remains a serious public health problem. Maternal deaths are two to three times higher than in other high-income countries,¹ and most of these deaths are preventable. In 2022, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 22 per 100,000, far higher than most other Alarmingly, the U.S. is the only high-income country where maternal mortality has been rising since 1990.^1,2

Severe maternal complications, such as hemorrhage, eclampsia, and cardiac arrest have also become more common.³ In fact, twenty percent of maternal deaths were directly linked to hypertensive disorders and other pregnancy-related complications.³

These complications can directly affect babies. Infants born to mothers who experience severe maternal morbidities are 39 percent more likely to die than those whose mothers do not face these complications.¹ With over 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths considered preventable, it is clear that more needs to be done to support maternal health.⁴

This is where KDHRC’s programs like MOMS Postpartum can play a vital role. By training community health workers to provide physical, emotional, and mental support to new mothers, MOMS Postpartum can help moms and babies thrive. Supporting maternal health is about more than saving lives. It is about giving every family the healthiest start possible and ensuring a strong foundation for both mother and child.

Learn more about MOMS Postpartum here: https://www.kdhrc.com/portfolio-item/monitoring-and-outreach-for-maternal-safety-postpartum/

Works Cited:

1. Gunja, M. Z., Gumas, E. D., Masitha, R., & Zephyrin, L. C. (2024). U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis Comparison | Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison
2. Gunja, M. Z., Gumas, E. D., Masitha, R., & Zephyrin, L. C. (2024, June 4). Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison
3. Chen, Y., Shiels, M. S., Uribe-Leitz, T., Molina, R. L., Lawrence, W. R., Freedman, N. D., & Abnet, C. C. (2025). Pregnancy-Related Deaths in the US, 2018-2022. JAMA Network Open, 8(4), e254325. https://doi.org/10.1001/JAMANETWORKOPEN.2025.4325
4. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 19). Four in 5 pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0919-pregnancy-related-deaths.html