Maternal Mortality Causes and Doula Skills
Wed, May 27
|Zoom Meeting
The leading cause of maternal mortality during pregnancy and postpartum is homicide and suicide. As doulas, we are in the intimate spaces, as trusted support people and we have an opportunity to make an impact on this!
Time & Location
May 27, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT
Zoom Meeting
About the event
In the medical community, research has traditionally focused on how to prevent and treat the leading medical causes of maternal mortality, which include bleeding, infection, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
However, new research reveals deaths by homicide and suicide are the leading causes of maternal death in the United States.
In a study to be presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers unveiled findings that suggest that nationwide more pregnant people die from homicide and suicide than any medical cause, and that firearm legislation is associated with fewer maternal deaths.
Researchers reviewed CDC data from 2005-2022 on the deaths of pregnant people and people within the first 42 postpartum days ranging in age from 15-44, making this the most extensive study of a national database on maternal deaths. Researchers note that past studies either have been done at the state level or use data…