Why It Matters: Many pregnant women are afraid to talk about their concerns.
Nearly half of the women surveyed said they refrained from talking to a maternity care provider about their questions or concerns, a particularly troubling finding. The most common reason given is that patients think what they are experiencing is normal.
Other common reasons: Women say they don’t want to “make a big deal” about a problem, or are embarrassed to talk about it; they were told by friends or family that the problem was “a normal part of pregnancy”; or they fear being seen as a difficult patient.
Some also said they held back because their provider seemed rushed, and they weren’t sure their concern was important enough to get further attention, or they were afraid to talk about it.
Background: Maternal mortality rates have increased in the US
Maternal mortality rates in the United States are among the highest in the industrialized world. They have risen steadily in recent years, with a sharp but apparently temporary increase during the pandemic.
Black and Native American women are at high risk. Maternal mortality rates are two to three times higher among these women than among white and Hispanic women.
But studies have found that most deaths — about 80 percent — are preventable.
The new survey, designed by the CDC and conducted by communications consultancy firm Porter Novelli, involved approximately 2,400 mothers of children ages 5 and older, who answered questions online between April 24 and April 30 of this year.
The survey is not a nationally representative sample of the childbearing population, however, so its utility is somewhat limited. However, the findings suggest serious flaws in the care provided to pregnant women and women giving birth.
A First Step: Listening to the patient.
Women who give birth deserve respectful health care, which is strongly associated with positive outcomes, CDC officials said.
“If you constantly feel that your concerns are not heard and you experience mistreatment, you are more likely to seek further treatment in the future,” says Dr. Wanda Barfield, director of the agency’s division of reproductive health.
“And for women who may be at higher risk and have a concern that may be life-threatening — if they’re reluctant to seek help, and this study suggests that nearly half of them are, they may be at risk for a very adverse outcome.”