Serious Birth Complications on the Rise in the US

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the rate of serious birth complications in the United States rose from 101 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations to 147 per 10,000 between 2006 and 2015, and the rates of acute kidney failure, shock, mechanical ventilation use, and sepsis at delivery more than doubled during the same period. Agency director Dr. Gopal Khanna writes, “With these data in hand, state and federal agencies, patient safety experts, and health systems can evaluate maternal morbidity trends in greater depth, a vital step before addressing the challenge.” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, September 2018