Nearly half of maternal deaths in Pennsylvania occur more than 6 weeks after giving birth

But women continue to die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth until one year after birth. Goodboy Picture Company/E+ Collection via Getty Images

For too many women, the journey to motherhood ends in death. Maternal mortality – the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of giving birth – is not a rare tragedy. Globally, the maternal mortality rate is unacceptably high – about 260,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2023. In the U.S., it is also an ongoing crisis.

The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality among high-income countries.