{"id":297,"date":"2016-04-25T14:40:34","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T14:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/medical-examiner\/?page_id=297"},"modified":"2025-10-24T17:44:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T17:44:29","slug":"maternal-mortality-review-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/medical-examiner\/division-of-death-prevention\/maternal-mortality-review-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Maternal Mortality Review Team"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Maternal Mortality Review<\/a> | Case Review Process<\/a> | Reports<\/a> | To Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Quick Links<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees<\/a><\/p>\n

Council on Patient Safety in Women\u2019s Health Care: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Program<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

CDC: Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality<\/a><\/div>\n

Scope of the Problem of Maternal Death<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to the World Health Organization, global maternal mortality declined more than 40% worldwide between 1990 and 2014. In contrast, during that same period, the United States experienced a nearly 26% increase in maternal mortality rates. Data shows that maternal mortality rates continued to rise in the U.S. through 2021, with a decline observed in 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
U.S. Maternal Mortality Rates<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\n17.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2016<\/td>\n16.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n17.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n17.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n20.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n23.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n32.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n22.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n18.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

**Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2023. NCHS Health E-States. 2025.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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In order to reduce the maternal mortality rate, the CDC recommends that state-level, systematic reviews of all maternal deaths be undertaken to identify prevention and intervention strategies. These review teams have identified risk factors associated with maternal death such as mental illness, substance abuse, obesity and chronic illness as well as confirmed the relationship between pregnancy and homicide.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

Definitions<\/h2>\n

Two sets of definitions are used to describe maternal deaths.<\/p>\n

CDC\/ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Definitions<\/h3>\n

Pregnancy-Associated Death<\/strong> \u2013 death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of termination of a pregnancy regardless of the cause of death or outcome of the pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Pregnancy-Related Death<\/strong> – pregnancy-associated death resulting from one or more of the following:\u00a0 1. complications of the pregnancy itself; 2. the chain of events initiated by the pregnancy that led to death; or 3. aggravation of an unrelated condition by physiological effects of the pregnancy that subsequently causes death.<\/p>\n

These terms are used by individual states conducting maternal mortality review, including Virginia.<\/p>\n

World Health Organization and National Center for Health Statistics (US Death Certificate) Definitions<\/h3>\n

Maternal Death<\/strong> – death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.<\/p>\n

Pregnancy-Related Death<\/strong> \u2013 death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death.<\/p>\n

These terms are used by countries throughout the world so that trends can be identified and comparisons can be made.\u00a0 They identify maternal deaths only through cause of death codes listed on death certificates.<\/p>\n

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Mission of the Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team<\/h2>\n

Virginia\u2019s Maternal Mortality Review Team is dedicated to the identification of all pregnancy-associated deaths in the Commonwealth and the development of interventions that reduce preventable deaths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team Member Organizations<\/h2>\n

Director, Office of Family Health Services, Co-Chair
\nChief Medical Examiner, Co-Chair<\/p>\n

American College of Nurse-Midwives, Virginia Chapter
\nAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Virginia Section
\nAssociation of Women\u2019s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses, Virginia Chapter
\nCommonwealth\u2019s Attorney
\nCommunity Services Board
\nLocal Emergency Medical Services
\nLocal Health Department, Virginia Department of Health
\nLocal Fire Department
\nLocal Law Enforcement
\nMarch of Dimes
\nMedical Society of Virginia
\nNational Association of Social Workers, Virginia Chapter
\nPharmacy
\nPsychiatry
\nVirginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
\nVirginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
\nVirginia Department of Corrections
\nVirginia Department of Health, Child and Family Health
\nVirginia Department of Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
\nVirginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
\nVirginia Department of Social Services
\nVirginia Hospital and Healthcare Association
\nVirginia Midwives Alliance
\nVirginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance<\/p>\n

Funding Sources<\/h3>\n

Title V, Maternal and Child Health Block Grant<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

DP22-2211: Preventing Maternal Mortality: Supporting Maternal Mortality Review Committees<\/p>\n

\n

Program Contact<\/h2>\n

Melanie J. Rouse, PhD
\n(804) 205-3857
\nMelanie.Rouse@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maternal Mortality Review | Case Review Process | Reports | To Learn More Quick Links Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees Council on Patient Safety in Women\u2019s Health Care: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Program CDC: Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality Scope of the Problem of Maternal Death According […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":425,"featured_media":0,"parent":46,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-297","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nMaternal Mortality Review Team - Medical Examiner<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/medical-examiner\/division-of-death-prevention\/maternal-mortality-review-team\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maternal Mortality Review Team - 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