Here's another statistic that just shouldn't be.
Karen Bouffard of the Detroit News reports that Detroit women are dying from pregnancy-related causes at a rate higher than any major American city, and three times greater than for the nation.
Bouffard writes:
Data from the state Department of Community Health show at least six Detroit moms died yearly, on average, as a direct result of pregnancy or childbirth from 2008-11 — a total of 26 maternal deaths in that period. That translates to a maternal death rate of 58.7 per 100,000 babies — higher than in Libya, Uruguay or Vietnam.
The reason?
The News reports that experts point to a combination of medical conditions and social toxins.
Americans “don’t think women are dying (from pregnancy) in the U.S., let alone that the rate is going up,” Dr. Priya Agrawal told the News. She is executive director of Merck for Mothers, a 10-year, $500 million initiative launched by drug-maker Merck in the U.S. and Canada in 2011 to reduce maternal mortality. -- Allan Lengel