CDC: Maternal mortality rates fell in 2023

The U.S. maternal mortality rate decreased to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, down from 22.3 in 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the mortality rate decreased overall, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in 2023 was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly higher than rates for white (14.5), Hispanic (12.4) and Asian (10.7) women. U.S. pregnant women are more likely to die of violence than any medical cause and are at higher risk for violent death compared with non-pregnant women, the CDC says. CDC researchers found domestic violence firearm legislation was linked to a reduction in homicide and firearm death in pregnancy. The data highlight the need for intimate partner violence screening. (CDC report)