Connecticut State Department of Public Health

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Maternal Mortality Review Program



Table of Contents

Maternal Mortality in the United States

 

Maternal mortality is on the rise, in 2021, over 1200 women died nationally from pregnancy-related complications compared to 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzes Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS) data from the 52 reporting areas, and currently supports and collects data from 39 states and one US Territory Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs).

 

A pregnancy-related death is one that occurs during pregnancy or within one year of the end of a pregnancy from a pregnancy complication, a chain of events initiated by the pregnancy, or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy.

 

A pregnancy-associated death is one from any cause during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy from a cause not related to the pregnancy.

 

For more definitions related to maternal mortality click here.   

 

Recent PMSS and MMRC data indicate:

 

Over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths were determined to be preventable.

The leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths, nationally are: 

  • Mental health conditions
  • Cardiovascular conditions (i.e. heart disease and stroke)
  • Infection
  • Hemorrhage

Read the most recent report discussing this, and other data, from the 36 MMRCs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 38 U.S. States, 2020.

 

New report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): Advances describing the characteristics of pregnancy-related deaths due to cardiovascular conditions, including cardiomyopathy, from 2017-2019.  


 



Connecticut Maternal Mortality Review Program 

 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) administers the CT Maternal Mortality Review Program (MMRP).

 

In June 2018, Connecticut Statute Section§19a-59i (a) was passed granting DPH the statutory authority to establish a MMRP and a Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) to conduct a comprehensive, multidisciplinary review of maternal deaths for purpose of identifying factors associated with maternal deaths and to make recommendations to improve maternal outcomes and reduce preventable risks.

 

The CT MMRC examines all potential pregnancy-related deaths and identifies whether it was pregnancy-associated, pregnancy-related death, or not related or associated to the pregnancy. 

 


Connecticut Maternal Mortality Review Committee

 

The chairpersons of the MMRC are the Commissioner of Public Health, or the Commissioner's designee, and a representative designated by the CT State Medical Society.

Identified cases of potential pregnancy-related maternal mortality are reviewed by an inter-disciplinary Maternal Mortality Review Committee comprised of medical and non-medical personnel. Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the MMRC determines the pregnancy-relatedness and makes recommendations to prevent subsequent deaths.

Utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Committee Decisions Form, V. 24, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee reviews de-identified case summaries to ensure consistency and uniformity in the case review process.

2025 CT MMRC Meeting Dates:

February 13, 2025
March 20, 2025
April 24, 2025
May 22, 2025

Key Documents for CT MMRC

Resources for Parents

 Resources for Clinicians

 CT Evaluation and Reports


MEDIA CAMPAIGNS

 

 

CDC's Hear Her Campaign

CDC's Hear Her Campaign seeks to raise awareness of potentially life-threatening warning signs during and after pregnancy and improve communication between patients and their healthcare providers.  It helps increase awareness of serious pregnancy-related complications and their warning signs, empowers women to speak up and raise concerns, encourages women’s support systems to engage in important conversations with her and provides tools for women and providers to better engage in life-saving conversations.

CDC Hear Her Campaign Website

CDC Hear Her Campaign Video Clip English Spanish


CT Media Campaign

The CT Maternal Mortality Program has developed a media campaign to encourage women to speak up during pregnancy, at birth and during the postpartum year about any concerns, and to encourage providers to listen actively to a woman's concerns. A woman knows her body best and how she feels. Go to ct.gov/hearher to learn more.

The goal is to encourage women to speak up during pregnancy, at birth and during the postpartum year about any concerns, and to encourage providers to listen actively to a women’s concerns.  A woman knows her body best and how she feels.

 

  Call to Action - Changing the conversation: applying a health equity framework to maternal mortality reviews

 

 

Contact Information for the CT Maternal Mortality Review Program

Lisa Budris, MS, MPH, Epidemiologist 

E-mail: lisa.budris@ct.gov    (860) 509-7840

or

Jennifer Squires, Health Program Assistant

E-mail: jennifer.squires@ct.gov    (860) 509-7412

 

Connecticut State Department of Public Health
Maternal Child Health and Access to Care Section
410 Capitol Avenue, MS# 11 MAT
Hartford, CT 06134-0308