4 in 5 U.S. pregnancy-related deaths are "preventable": CDC

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Four out of five pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable, according to a new report published Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report looked at data from the Maternal Mortality Review Committees across 36 U.S. states between 2017 and 2019.

Among pregnancy-related deaths, 22 percent occurred during pregnancy, 25 percent occurred on the day of delivery or within 7 days after, and 53 percent occurred between 7 days to 1 year after pregnancy, according to the report.

The leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death include mental health conditions, excessive bleeding, cardiac and coronary conditions, infection, thrombotic embolism, cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, according to the report.

"The report paints a much clearer picture of pregnancy-related deaths in this country," said Wanda Barfield, director of CDC's Division of Reproductive Health at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

"The majority of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, highlighting the need for quality improvement initiatives in states, hospitals, and communities that ensure all people who are pregnant or postpartum get the right care at the right time," Barfield said.