Native American and Alaska Native people face the highest pregnancy-related mortality ratio among major demographic groups, according to 2024 CDC data, prompting a coordinated effort to increase tribal participation in maternal mortality review committees. These state committees investigate deaths during pregnancy and within a year after, analyze data, and issue policy recommendations to lower death rates. According to 2021 CDC data compiled from 46 maternal mortality review committees, 87% of maternal deaths in the U.S. were deemed preventable, with most or all deaths among Native American and Alaska Native people considered preventable.
Mental health conditions and infection were the leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death among Native American and Alaska Native women as of 2021. The CDC found an estimated 68% of pregnancy-related deaths in this population occurred within a week of delivery to a year postpartum, with the majority happening between 43 days and a year after birth. A 2024 study analyzing data from 2016 to 2020 found that approximately 75% of Native American and Alaska Native pregnant people lacked access to care through the Indian Health Service around the time of giving birth. More than 90% of Native American and Alaska Native births occur outside IHS facilities. For those delivering at IHS facilities, a 2020 HHS Office of Inspector General report found that 56% of labor and delivery patients received care not following national clinical guidelines.
In 2023, tribal leaders and federal officials discussed four models for maternal mortality review: a committee for each tribe, one for each of the 12 Indian Health Service administrative regions, a national committee, or the addition of Native American subcommittees to state committees. Kim Moore-Salas, a Navajo Nation member and co-chair of Arizona’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, emphasized that tribal sovereignty, experience, and traditional knowledge are important factors in any model chosen. Funding for state committees through the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act is scheduled to expire January 31, pending congressional approval of a fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/native-american-pregnancy-maternal-mortality-mothers-deaths-tribes/