Legislation requiring maternal mortality documentation

“Maternal mortality is an epidemic we should all be paying attention to,” Young said. “We
cannot effectively address this issue in Oklahoma until we gather state
maternal mortality data. Reporting childbirth-related deaths is the first step
in reversing this staggering national trend.”

National data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show
racial disparities are a driving factor in maternal mortality. African American
women are 243 percent more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth-related
causes than white women. Black women face 44 deaths per 100,000 live births,
while white women face 13 deaths per 100,000 births and women of other races
face 14 deaths per 100,000 births. 

Senate Bill 1238 would require the chief medical examiner to report a death to the
Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) if a woman dies in a hospital after
delivery or within 42 days after delivery from any cause related to the
pregnancy. The medical examiner would be required to indicate if the death was
related to maternal mortality on the death certificate. The bill also directs
the OSDH to maintain and report data on maternal mortality, including the
number of deaths reported by county and race.

“Complications linked to surgical deliveries, pre-existing conditions such as hypertension and
diabetes, and access to quality healthcare are the leading reasons women are
facing startling pregnancy-related death statistics,” Young said. “We must do
more to ensure women are receiving adequate health care, resulting in positive
outcomes for both mother and child.”