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MATERNAL
MORTALITY

continued from page 17
FIGURE 2 www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pmss.html
mortality. Stakeholders from around the
state presented concepts and ideas to
promote improved care for women with
the goal to affect maternal morbidity and
mortality in Texas. In a follow-up, the
TMA hosted a Maternal Health Con-
gress in March of this year during which
proposed resolutions for reducing mater-
nal morbidity and mortality were pre-
sented. The result of this highly
impactful event was the development of
a TMA 7-point plan to stop maternal
deaths in Texas. This plan focused on
several actionable resolutions encom-
passed in the areas of access to care, be-
havioral health prevention and treatment,
access to long-acting reversible contra-
ceptives, quality improvement initiatives,
and public health programming (See Box
for additional information).

Next Steps: NATIONAL/STATE/REGIONAL
Maternal mortality remains a major concern nationally and for us MATERNAL MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY
in Texas. It is encouraging that many efforts are underway in the INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES
state to address the problem and with hope in the near future we
will see tangible reductions in this unfortunate pregnancy compli-
cation. With the next legislative biennium on the horizon, we all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pregnancy
Mortality Surveillance System
need to be strong advocates for promotion of women’s health is-
www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pmss.html
sues, specifically those related to reduction in maternal morbidity
and mortality in the state. Texas Maternal Levels of Care Designation:
https://dshs.texas.gov/emstraumasystems/maternal.aspx
REFERENCES: Texas Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Task Force:
MacDorman MF, Declercq E, Cabral H, Morton C. Recent Increases in the
https://dshs.texas.gov/mch/maternal_mortality_and_morbidity.shtm
U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate: Disentangling Trends From Measurement Issues.
Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Sep; 128(3): 447-55. Texas Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health
Baeva S, Saxton DL, Ruggiero K, Kormondy ML, Hollier LM, Hellerstedt J, (AIM) Initiative:
Hall M, Archer NP. Identifying Maternal Deaths in Texas Using an Enhanced www.dshs.texas.gov/mch/TexasAIM.aspx
Method, 2012. Obstet Gynecol. 2018 May; 131(5): 762-769.
Main EK, McCain CL, Morton CH, Holtby S, Lawton ES. Pregnancy-related Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies
mortality in California: causes, characteristics, and improvement opportunities. (TCHMB):
Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Apr; 125(4): 938-47 www.tchmb.org/
Texas Medical Association (TMA) Maternal Mortality
Dr. Patrick S. Ramsey is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist
and Morbidity
at Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at www.texmed.org/MMM/
the UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Ramsey serves on the Bexar
County and Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task South Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC)
Forces as well as the Executive Committee for the Texas Collaborative for Regional Perinatal Committee:
www.strac.org/perinatal
Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB).

18 San Antonio Medicine • July 2018