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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined his colleagues yesterday in passing H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, to address the high rate of maternal mortality in the United States. This bipartisan bill would establish a Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRCs) in each state to identify trends and risk factors, and develop recommendations for appropriate interventions to reduce maternal deaths in the future.  

Latta recently questioned experts at an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing about the high maternal mortality rate in the U.S. and specifically women that live in rural areas with less access to hospital obstetric services. The witnesses testified that both “maternity care deserts” and the opioid crisis are issues that need to be addressed.

“The loss of a young woman because of pregnancy or childbirth complications is heartbreaking,” said Latta. “Tragically, the United States is the only developed country in the world where the maternal mortality rate is trending upwards. We need to understand why this is occurring and take action to find solutions. This legislation will help us better grasp why the maternal mortality rate is so high, what communities are most at risk, and what actions would be most effective to reversing this alarming trend.”

The United States is ranked 47th globally for its maternal mortality rate, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that 60% of all maternal deaths are preventable. The CDC also found that the U.S. maternal mortality rate has increased from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1999 to 18 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014.

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