July 3 (Reuters) - The number of U.S. women who died within a year after pregnancy more than doubled between 1999 and 2019, with the highest deaths among Black women, researchers said on Monday.
There were an estimated 1,210 maternal deaths in 2019, compared with 505 in 1999, according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA.
Unlike previous U.S. studies of maternal mortality, which focused on national trends, the current study analyzed data state-by-state.
To the researchers' surprise, Black women had the highest maternal mortality rates in some Northeast states.
"Our findings provide important insights on maternal mortality rates leading up to the pandemic, and it's likely that we'll see a continued increase in the risk of maternal mortality across all populations if we analyze data from subsequent years," Bryant said.
Persons:
Dr, Allison Bryant, Brigham, Bryant, Nancy Lapid, Michael Erman
Organizations:
American Indians, Alaska Natives, Blacks, Pacific Islanders, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Thomson
Locations:
Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Boston, Midwest, Great