SC sees drop in pregnancy-related deaths, racial, location disparities still remain

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The South Carolina Maternal Morbidity and Morality Review Committee (SCMMRC) released its annual legislative brief Wednesday, showing a drop in pregnancy-related deaths in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, the pregnancy-related mortality rate decreased by 30% from 2021 and a further 10% in 2023, going from 47.2 deaths per 100,000 live births to 29.5 over the course of two years.

The committee, which was established by the state legislature in 2016, reviews all maternal deaths that happen during and up to a year after pregnancy ends.

Deaths are considered pregnancy-related when a woman dies from a complication associated with the pregnancy, events ending in death that were caused by the pregnancy or pre-existing conditions made worse by pregnancy.

“The 2023 pregnancy-related mortality rate was the lowest since the establishment of the SCMMMRC in 2016. However, we see continued disparities in outcomes for mothers by race, age and location,” Danielle Wingo, director of the Department of Public Health’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, said in a statement. “DPH continues its work with our partners to strengthen our efforts to close the gaps we see in maternal health outcomes and provide every mother in South Carolina with an opportunity to survive, heal and thrive.”

However, even with the overall drop in pregnancy-related deaths, significant racial and location disparities still exist within the state.

In 2022, non-Hispanic Black women were 3.3 times more likely to have a pregnancy-related death than non-Hispanic white women. While the disparity lowered in 2023, non-Hispanic Black women were still twice as likely to die from pregnancy complications as non-Hispanic white women.

The pregnancy-related mortality rate was also 68% higher in rural counties than urban ones in both 2022 and 2023.

Hemorrhage, mental health conditions/substance use disorder, cardiomyopathy and infection were the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in 2022 and 2023.

Hemorrhage went from being the cause of 9.2% of deaths in 2018-2021 to 19.4%. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders went from being the leading cause of death from 2018 to 2021, but still account for 16.7% of pregnancy-related deaths.

Cardiomyopathy and infection both accounted for 13.9% of deaths each.

Approximately 86.2% of these deaths were deemed preventable.

“The reduction in maternal mortality in South Carolina is great news and is the result of the collaborative efforts of many dedicated groups and individuals,” Dr. Edward Simmer, interim DPH director, said in a statement. “Even as we celebrate the progress, we know there is still much work to be done, and DPH is committed to working with our many partners to achieve the goal of no avoidable maternal deaths.”

DPH has several resources to support pregnant women, available by clicking/tapping here.

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