The pregnancy-related mortality ratio for 2011–2013 remained relatively stable in the US, as did the distribution of the main causes of pregnancy-related mortality when compared with 2006–2010, a recent study found. The observational study used population-based data from the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System to calculate pregnancy-related mortality ratios by year, age group, and race/ethnicity groups. 10 cause-of-death categories by pregnancy outcome during 2011-2013 were also examined and compared with those in earlier reports since 1987. Researchers found:

• The 2011-2013 pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 17.0 deaths per 100,000 live births.
• Ratios increased with maternal age, and racial/ethnic disparities persisted with non-Hispanic black women having a 3.4 times higher mortality ratio than non-Hispanic white women.
• The following causes of pregnancy-related deaths contributed more than 10%: cardiovascular conditions (15.5%), other medical conditions often reflecting preexisting illnesses (14.5%), infection (12.7%), hemorrhage (11.4%), and cardiomyopathy (11.0%).