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Does Oklahoma’s maternal mortality rate exceed the national rate?

By Sue Bin Park
YES

Oklahoma’s maternal mortality rate from 2018 to 2022 was 30 deaths per 100,000 live births — higher than the national rate of 23 per 100,000 births.

The U.S. is considered an outlier among wealthy nations; the average maternal mortality rate across high-income countries was 12 deaths per 100,000 births in 2020. Racial disparities are also apparent, with Black mothers across America experiencing 51 maternal deaths per 100,000 births from 2018 to 2022.

Suggested causes include increasing average maternal age, high rates of chronic illness, and healthcare inaccessibility.

The World Health Organization defines maternal death as a death while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, caused or influenced by the pregnancy or its management. The top causes in the U.S. are mental health conditions, heart disease, and hemorrhage.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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