• Of the 1,018 deaths, 839 occurred up to a year postpartum, with mental health conditions as the top underlying cause, according to the analysis.
  • Black mothers, who are three times as likely as white mothers to die, made up close to a third of deaths from 2017-2019.
  • More than 90% of Indigenous mothers’ deaths were preventable, with most due to mental health conditions and hemorrhage.

A staggering number of maternal deaths in the United States were found to be preventable, according to a federal analysis of maternal death data released Monday.

More than 80%, or roughly 4 in 5 maternal deaths in a two-year period, were due to preventable causes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found.

The analysis of 2017 to 2019 pregnancy-related deaths, which disproportionately occur among women of color including Black and Indigenous, are based on figures from maternal mortality review committees. These are multidisciplinary groups based in 36 states that investigate circumstances around maternal deaths.

Of the 1,018 deaths, 839 occurred up to a year postpartum, with mental health conditions – deaths by suicide or overdose – the top underlying cause followed by extreme bleeding, or hemorrhage, according to the report. About 22% of deaths happened during pregnancy, and a quarter on the day of delivery or within a week after delivery.

Nearly a quarter of deaths were due to mental health conditions, 14% due to hemorrhage and 13% due to heart problems. The remaining were caused by infection, embolism, cardiomyopathy and high blood pressure-related disorders.

Experts say the findings indicate a critical need for rigorous postpartum health care and mental health resources, as well as tailored strategies to fight persistent racial disparities.

INSIDE AMERICA’S RURAL MATERNAL HEALTH CARE CRISIS:Why are women of color most at risk?

MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES ARE HIGHER FOR RURAL WOMEN OF COLOR:Data, charts, and maps show the disparity.

Dr. Allison Bryant, a high-risk obstetrician, is the senior medical director for health equity at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“It’s significant. It’s staggering. It’s heartbreaking,” said Bryant, who chairs the Massachusetts review committee. “It just means that we have so much work to do.”