The U.S. has unacceptable rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, especially when compared to other developed nations. Women in America continue to experience sickness and death throughout the perinatal period – during pregnancy, birth, and in the postpartum period. This activity provides resources and educational stories from National Public Radio (NPR), USA Today, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), the March of Dimes, and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Please work through the activities and Student Name: _________________________________________ o o o o o o o o o Choose two of the video stories and two of the article stories that captured your attention the most. Provide a brief for each of the four pieces. Include your , and if anything you. Each commentary should be a separate paragraph, 4-5 sentences for each. Briefly summarize Antoinette Pratsinakis, Ali Lowry and YoLanda Mention’s stories. What were their complications? What did the health care team do right? What did they do wrong? Define maternal mortality. Rank the
maternal mortality rate from for the following developed nations: U.S., Canada, Germany, Japan, France, England. Approximately how many women die in childbirth in America every year? How many suffer severe complications? What does the acronym POSTBIRTH stand for? How can we use this to better educate our new mothers on postpartum risks? According to the CDC, what are “pregnancy-related deaths”? What are the top causes of maternal deaths? What is the role of the March of Dimes in efforts to reduce maternal mortality? What is the name of HR 1318? In your own words, summarize HR 1318. What and when was the outcome of HR 1318? Do you think this will help to reduce the problem of maternal M&M? Why? What were the highlights of what the committee found? Summarize the 6 key recommendations from the report. o What reaction did you have to these resources? What was the most impactful story, article, or new information you learned? Why? o What solutions have been suggested to address the growing problem of preventable complications? What is our responsibility, as health care professionals?