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Does the US have higher maternal and infant mortality rates compared to other developed nations?

Tuesday, December 8, 2020
By Esther Honig
YES

U.S. maternal and infant mortality rates exceed those of other developed nations.

In 2018, the U.S. maternal mortality rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control, was 17.4 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. A maternal death is defined as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy.” This rate is nearly double that of maternal mortality rates in Canada and the U.K., and greatly exceeds rates in Western European countries. Australia's rate is 4.8 women per 100,000 births; New Zealand's is 1.7.

The U.S. also has worse infant mortality rates than other developed countries. In 2018, there were 5.67 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births in the U.S. Of the 36 countries that comprise the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. ranked 33rd, followed only by Chile, Turkey and Mexico.

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