Group Studies Maternal Mortality In Missouri

Troubling statistics have been brought to light regarding Missouri’s opioid crisis. A task force is reviewing Missouri’s pregnancy related death rate. Sarah Ehrhard Reid is the Office on Women’s Health Chief for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). She testifies to the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force that there are major concerns when reviewing opioid-related pregnancy deaths…

She says that the primary cause for pregnancy related and associated deaths is mental health concerns among mothers, which includes opioid use disorder and substance use disorder. That data also shows that annually, an average of 61 Missouri women dies while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy, giving Missouri the 7th highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S.

(From Missourinet)