Why Women Are Dying in Mexico From Childbirth
Women die during or shortly after giving birth way more often than you might expect, even here in the US. In New Jersey, for example, about 26 women die for every 100,000 births — one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the nation. Those rates are linked to a lack of access to care like routine check-ins before and after birth that can catch problems before they become life-threatening.
In 2021, as Mexico battled the height of the pandemic, the maternal mortality rate was about three times as bad as it is in New Jersey. Before Covid, things had actually been improving. But since the pandemic began, more than 2,000 women have died in Mexico from childbirth.
Then Mexico made a decision that would have negative effects on pretty much anyone suffering from an ailment other than Covid: It converted some hospitals into Covid-only hospitals. That meant that if you showed up with some sort of pregnancy complication at your local hospital, they might just turn you away. If you already lived somewhere far away from a hospital, like in the rural parts of the Yucatán Peninsula where Kelsey visited, you might suddenly be even further from somewhere you could seek care. Add to that mix the fact that pregnant women might also be afraid of going to a hospital and catching Covid and you’ve got the potential for minor health issues to become major ones.
But this isn’t just a pandemic story, or a Mexico story. In the US, there are about 15 midwives or doctors for every 1,000 births. Other high-income countries with lower maternal mortality rates like Sweden or Australia have about five times that amount. Overworked health care workers in a rush can make mistakes or miss things. Fewer caregivers can also mean fewer check-ins before and after pregnancy, too. That’s if women have access to care at all.
Research has shown that addressing the global shortage of midwives would prevent 280,000 deaths per year by 2035. In the US, there are some plans to attack this problem. New Jersey kicked off a program where nurses visit new parents at home for a wellness check for both mom and baby. A handful of states including Florida, Maryland and Minnesota reimburse patients for doulas who provide emotional and other non-medical support before, during and after pregnancy.
