Roundup: Mothers in New York Twice As Likely to Die During Childbirth Or First Year Post-Partum

Jun 22, 2010, 9:35am

Robin Marty

Mothers in New York are dying at twice the rate of the rest of the country, and Susan B. Anthony List gives up and that whole pesky "woman candidate" thing.

New York City is known for many things: the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park. Now it can add something new to the list – the Dead Mother Capital of the United States.

According to a recent report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the maternal mortality rate in the city is double that of the rest of the nation. The Epoch Times reports:

For every 100,000 live births, 23.1 expecting mothers died in New York City, compared to 11.8 deaths per 100,000 births across the United States, according to the Health Department data gathered between 2001 and 2005.

Of the 266 pregnancy-related deaths that were evaluated, 60 percent—or 161 deaths—were directly due to the complications with the childbirth process. Of the 161 mothers who died, 49 percent were found to be obese and 56 percent had chronic problems, such as hypertension or asthma—factors that may have possibly contributed to the complications.

Embolism, hemorrhage, infection, and pregnancy-induced hypertension constituted 63 percent of the childbirth-related deaths.

In an even more startling statistic, the rate of death for African American mothers was significantly higher than that of Caucasians. Seven times higher, according to NBC New York. And although a majority of the deaths related directly to the birthing process, there was a large amount of post-birth violence that was seen, as well.

In the rest of the cases, where death occurred within a year of pregnancy but was not directly attributed to the pregnancy, half of these were due to injury. “Homicide accounted for 44% of these injury deaths. More than half of the homicide deaths were linked to intimate-partner violence.”

Nearly 50 percent of all pregnancies are unplanned. That statistic, coupled with these terrifying numbers from New York, may help better explain the timing on yesterday’s OP-Ed in the New York Times, “Let the Pill Go Free.”

The pill remains part of the solution, but its usefulness has been limited because it’s available only by prescription. As every woman who has run out of pills on a Sunday or forgotten to take them along on vacation knows, refills are not always easy to come by.

What’s more, the difficulties involved in obtaining a pill prescription, especially for women without access to a doctor, can cause gaps in contraceptive use. And the birth control methods that are available without prescription — condoms, spermicide and the sponge — have higher failure rates than the pill.

But there is something we could do to help the pill live up to its potential: let women purchase it over the counter. A half-century of evidence shows us that it’s safe to dispense the pill without a prescription.

Preventing unintended pregnancies with easier access to birthcontrol has always been a no-brainer for those of us who advocate for women’s reproductive health. But now it’s no longer just a matter of convenience, it can often be a matter of life and death.

Mini-Roundup: EMILY’s List is accused of relaxing their standards to allow in any female candidates who are for upholding Roe V Wade (which their president says is not true), meanwhile, Susan B. Anthony List really changes its criteria, and endorses a man. So much for “Elect[ing] more women to Congress through our connected Candidate Fund.”

June 21, 2010

Understanding Ella, the Latest Controversy in ‘Morning After Pills’ – Huffington Post

Ready to Go 12 Rounds With Boxer – National Catholic Register

In politics, being a woman doesn’t mean much – Los Angeles Times

Bork to publicly oppose Kagan for Supreme Court – The Associated Press

CA-Sen: In the mold of Sarah Palin – Daily Kos

How Mitch Daniels Can Be The Most Pro-Life, and Fiscally Conservative Too – LifeNews.com

“Choose Life” Plate Hits the Road in Mass. – FOXNews

Republican Voters More Enthusiastic Than Democrats for 2010 Election Season – LifeNews.com

Should Church control access to health care? – Washington Post

Minority Leader, Nana Oye Lithur clash on abortion – Myjoyonline.com

Kagan, Clinton, and Partial-Birth Abortion – National Review Online