Bipartisan Legislation Would Encourage Additional Research into Maternal Death Cases & Seek Local Solutions to Curtail an Increase in Preventable Deaths

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed her bipartisan legislation to examine and combat the escalating maternal mortality crisis in the United States. Her bill will now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

More women in the United States die from pregnancy-related complications than in most other developed nations—and the number of maternal deaths is rising. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnancy-related deaths in the United States increased by 250 percent from 1987-2014. And to highlight the urgent need to tackle this problem, another study found that 60 percent of the nation’s maternal deaths could have been prevented with proper care.

Heitkamp’s bipartisan bill would strengthen on-the-ground resources to combat this growing crisis by expanding maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) that study and address the causes of maternal death cases and work to increase the number of safe and successful pregnancies. MMRCs do not exist in 18 states, including North Dakota.

“Especially in an industrialized country like the United States, no mother should have to worry about life-threatening complications during childbirth. Rising maternal mortality rates are simply unacceptable, and we need to develop a better understanding of this crisis, so that we can effectively identify risk factors and prevent further deaths,” said Heitkamp. “The U.S. Senate passing my legislation is a major step toward averting these heartbreaking tragedies and protecting the next generation of mothers and infants. By investing in cutting-edge research, giving physicians the tools they need to protect patients, and beefing up information sharing, my bill would help facilitate healthier pregnancies for so many moms and families in North Dakota and across the country. We are in the midst of a nationwide maternal health crisis— including in our rural and tribal communities, and Congress has answered the call to action. We urgently need to develop a strategy to combat this epidemic, and I will continue to push for my bill to be signed into law.”

By strengthening support for existing MMRCs and helping additional states create MMRCs, Heitkamp’s legislation would examine the causes of U.S. deaths due to pregnancy complications and would help find feasible solutions to address the ongoing crisis in local communities. With additional research into this growing epidemic, the bipartisan bill would help expecting mothers access critical health care resources like hospital facilities, so they can experience healthier pregnancies.

Heitkamp’s bill is endorsed by the American Congress of Obstrecticians and Gynecologists and the Preeclampsia Foundation. Click here for a full list of the more than 40 organizations supporting this bill.

In September 2018, Heitkamp convened health care providers, families, and maternal health advocates in Grand Forks to examine the causes of rising nationwide maternal mortality rates and to discuss ideas, like this bill, to better support the health and well-being of mothers and newborn children across North Dakota. During the roundtable discussion, Heitkamp heard from several mothers who have experienced complications either during pregnancy or after the birth of their children.

Earlier this year, Heitkamp helped pass a bipartisan funding bill that includes $50 million in funding to be used for a new initiative aimed at reducing maternal mortality— which Heitkamp successfully pushed for. The bill also includes $12 million for expanded data collection at State Maternal Mortality review boards and $38 million to expand evidence-based programs to advance maternal health equity in rural, tribal, and historically underserved areas.

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