ProPublica Series Sheds Light on Critical Maternal Health Issues in the United States

By: Sarah Hodin, MPH, CD(DONA), LCCE, National Senior Manager of Maternal Newborn Health Programs, Steward Health Care

In 2017, ProPublica introduced a series of articles titled “Lost Mothers”—which was recently awarded the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting—to raise awareness about preventable maternal deaths and striking maternal health inequities in the United States (U.S.). The featured article describes an effort to identify the estimated 700 to 900 women who died from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes in 2016 in the U.S., presenting heart-wrenching stories of women from around the country. Other articles highlight critical maternal health issues in the U.S. with an emphasis on racial inequities, quality of care and monitoring and surveillance of maternal deaths.

Featured article

Lost mothers
Nina Martin | July 2017

Selected articles

A larger role for midwives could improve deficient U.S. care for mothers and babies
Nina Martin | February 2018

Maternal deaths are increasing in Texas, but probably not as much as we thought
Robin Fields | January 2018

How hospitals are failing black mothers
Annie Waldman | December 2017

Severe complications for women during childbirth are skyrocketing — and could often be prevented
Katherine Ellison and Nina Martin | December 2017

Black women disproportionately suffer complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Let’s talk about It.
Adriana Gallardo | December 2017

Nothing protects black women from dying in pregnancy and childbirth
Nina Martin and Renee Montagne | December 2017

How many American women die from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth? No one knows.
Robin Fields and Joe Sexton | October 2017

Many nurses lack knowledge of health risks for new mothers, study finds
Nina Martin and Renee Montagne | August 2017

‘If you hemorrhage, don’t clean up’: Advice from mothers who almost died
Adriana Gallardo, Nina Martin and Renee Montagne | August 2017

The last person you’d expect to die in childbirth
Nina Martin | May 2017

Do you know someone who died or nearly died in childbirth in the U.S.? Contact the ProPublica staff>>

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Learn more about maternal health in the U.S. on the Maternal Health Task Force blog and topic page.