A Summary of Maternal Mortality in Missouri: A Historical Perspective (1999-2018).

The rate of maternal mortality in the United States (U.S.) is higher than any other industrialized nation, at 23.8 per 100,000 deliveries from 2000-2014. Although maternal mortality ratios decreased by 44% globally from 1990 to 2015, emerging evidence suggests that maternal mortality in the U.S. has been increasing.2-4 One study quotes 700 maternal deaths every year, with 50,000 "near misses."1 By one metric, Missouri ranks as the 44th-worst state for maternal mortality in the U.S.5.