DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — The number of women who die from childbirth is continuing to climb in the United States and Texas has the sad distinction of being at the top of the list.
According to an article in Spectrum News, there are a number of factors involved in rising maternal mortality rates including drug overdoses, complications during birth, illnesses, cardiac events and lack of medical resources.
The journal Obstetrics and Gynecology reports 36 women die during every 100,000 live births in Texas; black women have a death rate three times that of women of other races.
Medical professionals say a big part of the problem is that women take their own health for granted. Elizabeth Krause with the non-profit St. David’s Foundation in Austin says women tend to get healthcare during pregnancy but after their children are born they don’t pay enough attention to their own well-being. “They need to look for signs that something is not right in their bodies,” she said.
Spectrum says $2 million in grants have been awarded by St. David’s to promote post-partum health care and awareness.
