The United States has some of the most technologically advanced healthcare systems in the world, yet our maternal mortality rate is higher than any other developed country. Most concerning are the significant racial disparities that exist. Women are dying during a period when they should have a lot of support, both in health care and in their communities. In order to prevent future deaths, we must understand why women are dying during pregnancy, childbirth, and their first year postpartum. Collecting, analyzing, and comparing maternal mortality data has been challenging to accomplish both nationally and locally due to a lack of standard definitions. Maternal mortality is defined slightly differently by several different health organizations. Louisiana analyzes and reports on all pregnancy-associated deaths, a death that occurs during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy, regardless of the cause. This term encompasses pregnancy-related deaths; pregnancy-associated, but not related deaths; and pregnancy associated, but unable to determine relatedness deaths.

Louisiana reviews all pregnancy-associated deaths of Louisiana residents, regardless of cause of death. This report summarizes all 2018 pregnancy-associated deaths that occurred in-state and resulting recommendations for prevention.

In response to national and local concern regarding rising maternal mortality rates, this report summarizes LA-PAMR’s recent review of maternal deaths from 2011-2016, and subsequent recommendations regarding pregnancy-related deaths (those aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, occurring during a pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of a pregnancy).