Maternal Mortality: The Surging Crisis - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Story at-a-glance

Recent data show U.S. maternal mortality rates increased by 27.7% between 2018 and 2022, with one-third of pregnancy-related deaths occurring after the standard six-week postpartum care period
Significant disparities exist in maternal death rates by state, race, and ethnicity. American Indian/Alaska Native women face a nearly four times higher risk than white women
Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of late maternal deaths, followed by cancer and endocrine conditions. Drug and alcohol-related issues and mental or behavioral disorders are also significant contributors
U.S. infant mortality also increased by 3% from 2021 to 2022, the first rise in 20 years, with deaths from maternal complications rising 8.6% and newborn bacterial sepsis up 13.7%
To reduce maternal mortality risk, track your symptoms after birth, push for care beyond the standard six-week visit, and make informed decisions throughout pregnancy and postpartum

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen
0:06.1	summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. Subscribe
0:11.2	for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. Your risk of life-threatening complications
0:17.6	doesn't end when you leave the delivery room. Are you prepared for the
0:21.1	critical months that follow? Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan
0:27.2	Foster, joined by Alara Sky. And today we unpack new findings that maternal deaths in the United
0:33.3	States climb nearly 28% in just five years. That surge came from an NIH analysis of more than 10 million
0:41.2	birth and death certificates between 2018 and 2022. Crucially, the researchers tracked women for a
0:48.5	full year after delivery, not just through childbirth. By widening the lens, they discovered that
0:53.3	one in every three
0:54.4	pregnancy-related deaths happens after the traditional six-week checkup. So if you assume recovery
1:00.5	ends once your six-week visit is over, you could miss the most dangerous period. Among
1:05.6	women aged 25 to 39, the age group many consider the safest reproductive window. Deaths shot up 36.8%. That's a wake-up call for
1:15.2	anyone planning a family or already pregnant. Where you live matters, too. State rates ranged from
1:21.2	18.5 to 59.7 deaths per 100,000 live births. Alabama topped the list.
1:28.9	California ranked safest.
1:30.7	The researchers calculated that if every state matched California's performance,
1:35.1	more than 2,600 mothers would still be alive today.
1:38.7	Race and ethnicity create another fault line.
1:41.7	American Indian and Alaska native mothers faced 106.3 deaths per 100,000
1:47.6	live births, almost four times the risk for non-Hispanic white mothers. Black mothers followed at 76.9.
1:55.5	Those stark gaps highlight systemic barriers that many families must fight through to get adequate care.
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