Speaker Adams confronts NYC’s maternal mortality crisis
On Feb. 6, Speaker Adrienne Adams convened the first Council Maternal Health Steering Committee meeting at City Hall, bringing together city leaders and advocates to address NYC’s maternal mortality crisis. Bronx Health Link Clinical Director Anastasia Libovich was among those in attendance, contributing to the discussion on improving maternal health outcomes.
In general, between 50 and 60 women and birthing people lose their lives during pregnancy or within a year from the end of pregnancy. Black New Yorkers are six times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes compared to white New Yorkers, according to city data. Black and Hispanic women are also more likely to have a cesarean delivery (C-section) than white women, even when considered “low-risk.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common and direct causes of maternal injury and death are excessive blood loss, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labor. Women are particularly exposed to these during and after C-sections, which run the inherent risks of surgery, maternal morbidity and mortality, and adverse neonatal outcomes. Indirect or underlying causes include anemia, malaria, and heart disease. However, most maternal deaths are preventable with “timely management by a skilled health professional working in a supportive environment,” said WHO.
