Maternal Mortality Crisis in the US: A Closer Look at Data Classification Errors

Chicago, Illinois United States of America
Instead of the maternal death rate more than doubling since 2002, it has remained flat. Additionally, the number of women dying after giving birth in the US has not increased significantly over time.
The maternal mortality crisis in the US has been a topic of concern for many years. A new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology challenges some previous findings about high and rising rates of maternal mortality, suggesting that data classification errors have inflated these numbers.
Maternal Mortality Crisis in the US: A Closer Look at Data Classification Errors

The maternal mortality crisis in the United States has been a topic of concern for many years. A new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology challenges some previous findings about high and rising rates of maternal mortality, suggesting that data classification errors have inflated these numbers. The study found that instead of the maternal death rate more than doubling since 2002, it has remained flat. Additionally, the number of women dying after giving birth in the U.S. has not increased significantly over time.


Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image

Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • It's possible that there are other factors contributing to the high rates of maternal mortality in certain populations or regions.
  • The study may not have taken into account all relevant data, such as deaths from complications related to preterm birth.

Sources

73%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

High and rising U.S. maternal mortality rates are due to flawed data, study shows

The Hill News Site: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate-seethe-republicans-call-for-israeli-elections/ Lauren Irwin Thursday, 14 March 2024 01:56
  • Unique Points
    • New research has found that prior studies showing high and rising rates of maternal mortality in the United States are due to flawed data
    • `Pregnancy` should be added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
    • The number of women dying after giving birth in the U.S. has remained steady and not more than doubled in the last two decades
    • `pregnancy` should be added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths according to NCHS guidelines
  • Accuracy
    • `pregnancy` was added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths according to NCHS guidelines
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive because it claims that the maternal mortality rates in the U.S. have remained steady over time when they have actually increased by 2 percent from 1999 to 2021 using a flawed method of tracking. The author also omits important information about the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality, which are disproportionately high among Black women. Additionally, the article does not provide any sources or evidence for its claims and relies on vague terms such as 'some egregious errors' without specifying what they are or how they were corrected.
    • `New research has found that prior studies showing high and rising rates of maternal mortality in the United States are due to flawed data.`
    • `Researchers found that despite the changes, reports still show increased maternal mortality rates or an increase in misclassified maternal deaths.`
    • `The number of women dying after giving birth in the U.S. has been concerning and raised questions about the country’s health care.`
    • `While past estimates show the maternal mortality rate has more than doubled in the last two decades, this week’s study found it has remained steady.`
    • `In 2003, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recommended “pregnancy” be added to a checklist on a person’s death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths.`
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the maternal mortality crisis in the US has shown high rates of maternal deaths compared to other countries. While this may be true, it does not necessarily mean that there are any inherent problems with the data or methodology used to collect these statistics.
    • The article claims that prior studies showing high and rising rates of maternal mortality in the United States are due to flawed data. However, this is a misleading statement as it implies that all previous studies were incorrect when in fact they may have simply been using different methodologies or definitions.
    • The article states that deaths from other causes would be considered maternal mortality if the pregnant box was checked on a death certificate. This is an example of inflammatory rhetoric as it suggests that these deaths are somehow more important than others and should not be counted separately.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
    Lauren Irwin has a conflict of interest on the topic of maternal mortality rates as she is reporting for The Hill which is owned by News Corporation. This company also owns Fox News and other conservative media outlets that have been criticized for their coverage of reproductive health issues.
    • Lauren Irwin reports for The Hill, a news organization owned by News Corporation.
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      Lauren Irwin has a conflict of interest on the topic of maternal mortality rates as she is reporting for American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
      • .15-44 years old.
        • .70 years old and above.
          • death certificate
            • ./ectopic pregnancies/hypertensive disorders/embolism/cardiomyopathy and other cardiovascular diseases

            85%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            Study says U.S. maternal death rate crisis is really a case of bad data

            The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Sabrina Malhi, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 23:28
            • Unique Points
              • Maternal death rates have remained flat since 2002, not doubled as previously thought.
              • Black pregnant people die at nearly three times the rate of their White peers due to higher rates of pregnancy complications and chronic diseases.
              • `Pregnancya should be added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
              • The number of women dying after giving birth in the U.S. has remained steady and not more than doubled in the last two decades
              • `pregnancy✙ should be added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths according to NCHS guidelines, with exceptions for specific causes of death tied to pregnancy for older women
            • Accuracy
              • The maternal mortality crisis in the United States has been overstated due to data classification errors.
              • Maternal death rates have remained flat since 2002, not doubled as previously thought.
              • Many maternal deaths are preventable if specific causes of death are addressed and prevented.
              • `Pregnancy` should be added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
              • `pregnancy` should be added to a checklist on a person's death certificate as a way to track maternal deaths
            • Deception (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Fallacies (85%)
              The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by citing a study that claims maternal mortality rates in the US have remained flat for two decades. However, this is not entirely accurate as there are still significant disparities between different racial groups and socioeconomic statuses. Secondly, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric when it states that some experts say 'persistent racial disparities remain'. This statement could be seen as inflammatory and may cause unnecessary alarm among readers. Thirdly, there is a lack of context in the article regarding why maternal mortality rates are high in certain countries compared to others. The author does not provide any evidence or reasoning for this claim.
              • The study claims that maternal mortality rates have remained flat for two decades, but this is not entirely accurate as there are still significant disparities between different racial groups and socioeconomic statuses.
            • Bias (85%)
              The article contains a statement that some of the reports show a threefold increase in maternal mortality. However, this is not what was found by the study published Wednesday in the American Journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. The study found low and stable rates instead of an increase.
              • Researchers noted that gaping racial disparities remain especially between White and Black pregnant people.
                • ]There has been a lot of alarm and apprehension surrounding the fact that some of these reports show a threefold increase in maternal mortality, and that is not what we found. We found low and stable rates[
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication

                67%

                The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                CDC Vastly Overestimated U.S. Maternal Death Rates, Says New Study

                Reason Magazine Ronald Bailey Wednesday, 13 March 2024 20:51
                • Unique Points
                  • The U.S. maternal death rates have been overestimated by the CDC's method of counting them as pregnancy-related causes on death certificates.
                  • Maternal mortality has remained stable between 1999-2002 and 2018-2021 periods, according to a definition-based study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
                  • The CDC's method resulted in a reported increase from 9.65 per 100,00 live births to 23.6 per 100,0 live births over two periods.
                • Accuracy
                  • The CDC's method resulted in a reported increase from 9.65 per 100,000 live births to 23.6 per 100,000 live births over two periods.
                  • Health care during pregnancy and after delivery has improved substantially in many areas, contrary to the impression of worsening conditions.
                  • There is a slight narrowing of differences in maternal death rates by race.
                • Deception (30%)
                  The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it presents a false narrative that maternal death rates have been steadily increasing when the study shows they are actually stable. This misrepresentation is due to the CDC's method of counting pregnancy-related deaths as maternal deaths which leads to an overestimation of these numbers.
                  • PBS similarly observed, U.S. maternal death rates more than doubled over 20 years.
                  • U.S. maternal deaths keep rising,
                  • CNN also reported, US maternal death rate rose sharply in 2021,
                • Fallacies (85%)
                  The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without providing any context or explanation of how those statistics were obtained. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that maternal deaths have been increasing, which is not supported by the study's findings.
                  • U.S. maternal deaths keep rising,
                • Bias (85%)
                  The author uses language that dehumanizes pregnant women by describing them as 'victims' and their deaths as a 'statistical illusion'. The use of the word 'illusion' implies that these deaths are not real or significant. Additionally, the author cites statistics from multiple sources without providing any context for why they were chosen or how reliable they are.
                  • U.S. maternal deaths keep rising,
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication
                  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    Ronald Bailey has a conflict of interest on the topic of maternal deaths as he is reporting on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which may be biased or inaccurate.
                    • [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] data shows
                      • Ronald Bailey has a conflict of interest on the topic of maternal deaths as he is reporting on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which may be biased or inaccurate.

                      71%

                      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                      How bad is maternal mortality in the U.S.? A new study says it's been overestimated

                      National Public Radio (NPR) Wednesday, 13 March 2024 00:00
                      • Unique Points
                        • The new analysis of death certificates says the U.S. maternal mortality rate is in line with other wealthy countries
                        • Black pregnant patients are still three times more likely to die than white patients
                        • In 2018-21 it was 10.4, a 2 percent increase
                      • Accuracy
                        • The new analysis of death certificates says the U.S. maternal mortality rate is in line with other wealthy countries, contradicting an earlier report from the CDC.
                        • Black pregnant patients are still three times more likely to die than white patients, according to data in the study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology on Wednesday.
                      • Deception (50%)
                        The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics put the U.S. maternal mortality rate at a whopping 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births which was widely reported and garnered attention from news outlets including NPR.
                        • The article states that Black pregnant patients are still three times more likely to die than white patients even with the lower overall rate.
                        • The article states that the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics put the U.S. maternal mortality rate at a whopping 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births which was widely reported and garnered attention from news outlets including NPR.
                      • Fallacies (90%)
                        The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics as a source for information on maternal mortality rates in the US. However, this is not sufficient evidence to support their claims about the accuracy of these statistics.
                        • The new analysis of death certificates says the U.S. maternal mortality rate is in line with other wealthy countries
                        • K.S Joseph, a physician and epidemiologist in the OB-GYN department of the University of British Columbia, leads an international team that conducted this study.
                        • CDC analysts have acknowledged problems with measuring maternal deaths due to changes made to national death certificates.
                      • Bias (85%)
                        The article reports on a new study that contradicts an earlier report from the CDC regarding maternal mortality in the US. The author of this study is K.S. Joseph and he is a physician and epidemiologist in the OB-GYN department at University of British Columbia, Canada.
                        • The fact that the rate of maternal mortality in the U.S seems to have been significantly inflated may be disconcerting.
                        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                          None Found At Time Of Publication
                        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                          None Found At Time Of Publication