NPWH position statement: Eliminating preventable maternal deaths

Abstract

The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) supports coordinated and collaborative efforts at federal, state, local, and professional organization levels to eliminate preventable maternal deaths. For 2011-2015, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio (PRMR) in the United States was 17.2 deaths per 100,000 live births. This statistic translates to an average of 700 women dying of pregnancy-related complications each year, a rate that remains higher than that of any other resource-rich country. The CDC estimates that 3 in 5 pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. NPWH advocates for legislation, policies, and initiatives that promote access to care, establishment and implementation of evidence-based healthcare practices to improve maternal outcomes, and ongoing research into the contributing factors to maternal mortality and effective preventive strategies.