The US maternal mortality rate may be lower than previously reported.

Maternal Mortality

The Story

The US maternal mortality rate may be lower than previously reported.

What do you mean?

Earlier this week, a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggested that federal data on maternal mortality could be inflated. The most recent CDC report put the rate at nearly 33 deaths per 100,000 births in 2021. Now, a group of researchers says the rate may be closer to 10 deaths per 100,000 births, may have largely held steady over the years, and appears to be closer to the rates seen in other wealthy countries. The findings have many revisiting how maternal mortality is reported.

Explain.

To better track maternal mortality, death certificates were updated to include a pregnancy checkbox about 20 years ago. Maternal deaths are those during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after giving birth, according to the CDC. But over the years, health officials have found the checkbox has been ticked in instances when a death wasn’t tied to a pregnancy or giving birth. The study’s authors say this likely led to an overcount of pregnancy- and birth-related deaths. When they went back and reviewed the data, researchers tallied fewer pregnancy-related deaths. Experts say clarifying the checkbox’s meaning could help collect data more accurately. But even corrected, the stats confirm the magnitude of the US maternal health crisis.

Go on.

Racial disparities in pregnancy-related deaths are still rampant. The study found that Black pregnant patients are still three times more likely to die than white patients. That can be attributed, in part, to medical racism, bias, and inattentive care. In most cases, their deaths are preventable, according to health officials. While experts are pleased to see the rates aren’t as bad as previously thought, they’re hoping the new findings won’t lessen the urgency around addressing the issue in the US.

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For years, US health officials have sounded the alarm about the rising maternal mortality rate across the country. While that number may be lower than previously thought, experts say the US still has more work to do when it comes to maternal health care.

Who scored a legal win…

Former President Trump. Yesterday, a judge dismissed six of the 41 charges against Trump and his five co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case. Three of the dismissed charges specifically named Trump — bringing down the total number of felony counts the former president faces to 88. He still faces 10 charges in the case, including racketeering, but for two reasons, this is being considered a win for Trump. First, one of the dropped charges is related to Trump’s call to Georgia’s secretary of state, urging him to “find” the votes to claim a Trump win. Second, analysts say the judge’s decision could mean that the case won’t go to trial until after the 2024 election. The judge said the prosecutors didn’t adequately describe how the defendants violated their oaths of office, but they could refile the charges. Up next: The same judge will decide whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from overseeing the case because of an office romance that defense attorneys say is a conflict of interest.

What people are talking about...

OnlyFans. According to a new Reuters investigation, at least 128 people have filed a police complaint saying sexual content of them ended up on the platform without their consent. That includes a woman who alleges a video of her rape was sold on OnlyFans. The report arrives amid the rapid growth of AI-generated porn — over 90% of deepfake porn videos target women and are nonconsensual. Legal recourse for victims is limited. There’s currently no federal law that criminalizes the distribution of nonconsensual porn. On top of that, police departments aren’t always aware of the nuances of state laws when it comes to nonconsensual porn, according to one legal expert. Of 128 cases police investigated in the Reuters report, only 28 ended in an arrest. Only three people went to jail. OnlyFans’ CEO says the company reviews “100 percent” of the content on the platform, even though OnlyFans’ terms of service says it has no obligation to do so.

Who got the axe on X…

Don Lemon. Yesterday, Elon Musk pulled the plug on Lemon’s new talk show, which was supposed to stream exclusively on X. The move came after the former CNN anchor interviewed Musk for the show, reportedly asking questions about Musk’s alleged drug use, business ventures, and the presidential election. Lemon, who described the interview as “tense,” said Musk’s “free speech absolutist” approach apparently didn’t apply in the interview. Musk said Lemon’s show was basically “‘CNN, but on social media.’” Lemon says he plans to publish the interview on Monday on YouTube and X.

What’s not scrolling past concerns…

The House. Yesterday, the lower chamber overwhelmingly passed a bill targeting TikTok in the US. The bill calls on the Beijing-based company, ByteDance, to divest the app or face a ban. The measure now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

What didn’t just fly away…

Boeing’s security camera footage.

While Olivia Rodrigo handed out Plan B…

Olivia Munn revealed her breast cancer struggle.

Who could be busy this week…

Busy Philipps.

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