Authors: Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
More people die during and after childbirth in the United States than in any other high-income country — but that is not the whole picture. Every year, thousands of people experience serious health complications from pregnancy and childbirth that have profound consequences for them and their babies. These incidents, defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as severe maternal morbidity (SMM), are far more common than maternal deaths, and strategies that prevent them could save women and their families from significant suffering while also offering a window into how to prevent maternal deaths.