Maternal and Infant Deaths Trending in Wrong Direction

November 14, 2023

ISMIE resource provides strategies to promote patient safety and reduce OB-GYN risk

Infant mortality rates increased by 3% from 2021 to 2022, the first increase in two decades, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although the report revealed increases for nearly all racial and ethnic groups, the infant mortality rate was highest among Black babies, with American Indian/Alaskan Native families following close behind.

As we previously reported, the latest Maternity Morbidity and Mortality Report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows that Black women continue to die at disparately higher rates. The report covers maternal deaths among Illinois residents from 2018 – 2020. IDPH reports an average of 88 pregnancy associated deaths per year over the three-year period, but there were 110 deaths in 2020. This latest report looks closely at some of the factors, such as discrimination and community context that may play a role in maternal health and contribute to the inequities.

ISMIE offers a new OB-GYN resource that outlines strategies to reduce risk and improve patient safety and outcomes.