Worldwide, Mothers Are Dying in Childbirth at an Alarming Rate
Despite the rising costs of prenatal and labor and delivery care, a new infographic FacetheFactsUSA.org illustrates a marked increase in maternal mortality–defined as death during pregnancy, within 42 days of terminating a pregnancy, or from any treatment or complication of pregnancy–over the past 25 years. To date, Greece has the lowest maternal mortality rate at two deaths per 100,000 pregnancies. Afghanistan has the highest rate at 1,400 per 100,000 births. The United States is tied with Saudi Arabia at 24 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies.
The infographic, which pulls its research from the U.S. Census, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization, also states that black women were 3.2 times likelier to die during pregnancy or childbirth than white women and that the U.S. ranked 50th in maternal mortality prevention in 2008. The U.S. numbers come as a shock, since annually, $98 billion is spent on hospitalization for pregnancy and childbirth.
Check out the numbers for yourself:
According to Unicef, “the direct causes of maternal deaths [in many countries] are haemorrhage, infection, obstructed labour, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, and complications of unsafe abortion. There are birth-related disabilities that affect many more women and go untreated like injuries to pelvic muscles, organs or the spinal cord.” The organization goes on to confirm that many pregnancy-related deaths are preventable: }[They are] mainly due to insufficient care during pregnancy and delivery. About 15 per cent of pregnancies and childbirths need emergency obstetric care because of complications that are difficult to predict.”
Heartbreaking. If not for modern medicine I too would have died during labor. We take soo much for granted in America. Which is why more women need to get involved in policy making for women’s health. The current trend focus on white males whereas more women are dying from cervical/breast cancer. $98 billion spent on pregnancy/childbirth is nothing compared to the trillions of dollars spent to keep women @ the bottom.
Why are we always No. 1 as a race for everything bad in America? There are more them than us, yet we are always No.1. They are No.1 in everything good and the bad blacks take the lead. Blacks are always No. 1 Hispanics No.2 and as always they are last. Because of this I no longer look at statistics the same, there is always some agenda to make one race looks better than the other. On topic- I believe women die due to the lack of healthcare insurance and education here in America. Without healthcare a woman will not have the means to get proper care. Education on natural homebirth vs hospital births, to medication side affects and healthy diets etc. This all takes money. As for Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan most women die there due to lack of medical treatment. Saudi Arabian women can only be touched by female doctors, but most doctors there are male. In Afghanistan a woman cannot be in the same room with a man, unless he is her husband or relative. Nurses(some nurses have no training this area)are delivering babies with doctors yelling instructions outside of the room. In addition lack of supplies, facilities that are not sterile, no equipment etc. All in all this sadly boils down to poverty incomes and education.
“Why are we always No. 1 as a race for everything bad in America? ”
we live under a system of white supremacy and yet we are blind to it’s effects……to it’s existence, really
childbirth has always been dangerous. modern medicine has allowed people to think it’s like using the bathroom.
women have always risked THEIR lives to give birth to another life. this is why women are special. people forget this stuff.
Yes, modern medicines are not helping any one. useless
Why are you having so many kids, black woman?
Why are you literally dying to have kids, black woman?
Why aren’t the father of your kids around, black woman?
Why can’t you raise good men, black woman?
Why are your daughters so loose, black woman?
Why aren’t you married, black woman?
Why do you work so much, black woman?
Why can’t you feed your kids, black woman?
Why aren’t you catering to black men, black woman?
Why are you so angry, black woman?
Why do you weigh so much, black woman?
Why are you so obsessed with your hair, black woman?
Why do you complain so much, black woman?
Why aren’t you educated, black woman?
Why is your neighborhood so rotten, black woman?
Why haven’t you figured it all out, black woman?
Why are you asking me for help, black woman?
What’s wrong with you, black woman?
You know, white women make this isht look easy… You should take a lesson from them.
Why are you so diseased, black woman?
Why are you so ugly, black woman?
Why is everything about sex with you, black woman?
Why don’t your own black men want you, black woman?
Why are you so bitter, black woman?
Why can’t you take a joke, black woman?
Why are you so hung up on the past, black woman?
Why are you so lazy, black woman?
Why do you hate other black women, black woman?
Why do you keep trying to be like European women, black woman?
Why can’t you speak proper English, black woman?
Why is everything about race with you, black woman?
What’s taking you so long to catch up, black woman?
You know those Asian and Hispanic women are starting to run laps on you too, so I know it’s got to be something wrong with you.
I am having a hard time understanding the relevance of these poems (if you will) with the information within the article.
They’re not poems. They’re the questions black women seem to constantly get asked with every knew breaking statistic that gets released: What’s wrong with you, black woman?
I got it immediately! Made me say “Why didn’t I think of typing this response to the plethora of ‘whats-wrong- black- women’ articles, black woman aka Pearlsrevealed?
Brilliant! I love it!
and the hate never stops…….
I see more clearly @Mademoiselle, thank you for clarifying.
No problem @ADOY… I was having one of those “not another statistic” moments when I wrote it all down.
Thanks @Pearlsrevealed