If we take a closer look at the global health indicators, it becomes clear that there are many shortcomings within the American healthcare system. While being among the most developed nations in the world, the US shows extremely high maternal mortality rates, standing at around 18 per 100,000 births. In comparison to other similar countries like the UK, Canada, France, and Germany, the US exceeds them greatly.
It should be noted that the risk factors are not the same for different groups of women. The statistics show that there are significant racial disparities in childbirth-related risks, the lives of women of color, especially Black and Native American women, are at much greater risk. In addition, age is an important physiological factor as older mothers face significantly higher risks, although tragic exceptions exist in every category. For example, the recent a woman less than 24 hours after giving birth to triplets was truly devastating.

A popular myth surrounding this issue is the belief that the highest period of risk ends upon a successful completion of the delivery process in a hospital environment. However, the majority of maternal deaths happen days or even weeks later when the woman leaves the delivery room during the post-delivery period.