Background
The US has one of the highest maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the developed world. Annually, more than 50,000 women experience life-threatening complications due to labor and delivery, and nearly 700 women died due to pregnancy-related causes in 2023. Certain populations are disproportionately at risk of maternal mortality, including moms living in rural areas, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black, and Pacific Islander moms. Maternal mortality rates for American Indian/Alaskan Native moms are almost 3x the maternal mortality rate for white (non-Hispanic) women. Additionally, rural women experience maternal mortality rates nearly 2x as high as those in urban areas, due in part to the higher presence of maternity deserts in rural areas.
While the US is among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that over 80% of maternal deaths in the nation are preventable. With the vast majority of maternal deaths being preventable, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act (PMDA) is essential to addressing maternal mortality through research, analysis, and policy change through its support of maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs).
Using a standardized data system called the Maternal Mortality Review Information Application (MMRIA) and supported by the CDC’s Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program, state and local MMRCs identify and review cases of maternal mortality to analyze factors that contributed to deaths that occurred during pregnancy or within one year postpartum to help provide accurate, consistent, and detailed data, and make policy recommendations for future prevention.
These multi-disciplinary committees are staffed by obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses, midwives, forensic pathologists, community-based organizations, patient advocacy groups, and other public health experts.
MMRCs are recognized as the gold standard for maternal death review and prevention, playing an essential role in mitigating the rising maternal mortality rate in the US and helping states develop actionable, evidence-based strategies to save lives.
In summary, MMRCs improve accuracy by:
- Conducting detailed, multidisciplinary case reviews with access to multiple data sources.
- Using standardized data collection tools like MMRIA for consistency and depth.
- Identifying and classifying pregnancy-related deaths with expert consensus.
- Incorporating social determinants and systemic factors in their analyses.
- Producing actionable, state-specific data to improve prevention efforts.
The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act was originally passed in 2018 to provide federal support for maternal mortality review committees. The CDC now supports MMRCs in 46 states and six territories under the Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program with funding authorized by the legislation.
In 2023, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization passed out of the HELP committee and passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support on March 5, 2024. The bill was included in the December 2024 Continuing Resolution package but was not ultimately enacted last Congress. As a result, funding for MMRCs is at risk and federal staff supporting this important program have been terminated.
Supporting reauthorization in the current 119th Congress will ensure that the lifesaving programs authorized by the PMDA are safeguarded from staff and funding elimination. The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act (S.2621/H.R.1909) was introduced by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in the Senate on July 31, 2025, and by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) on March 6, 2025, in the House.
Funding authorized by the PMDA specifically supports the work of the CDC’s Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program. ERASE MM supports agencies and organizations that coordinate and manage MMRCs to identify, review, and characterize pregnancy-related deaths to identify prevention opportunities. Additionally, ERASE MM data from the Maternal Mortality Review Information Application (MMRIA) provides all states and territories with a common data language to assist in maternal mortality analysis across the country. Passage of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025 would help provide ongoing support of MMRCs and better protect women throughout their pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, and assist in narrowing racial and geographic disparities in outcomes.
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