Ohio was one of nine states used in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that looked at maternal mortality rates in the United States. It is the developed world’s highest rate, and it is climbing.
The report examined more than 200 deaths related to pregnancy that occurred between 2008 and 2017. Almost half of the mothers who died were black. Almost two-thirds of all the deaths were preventable. Insufficient knowledge about symptoms and misdiagnoses were two of the main causes of the preventable deaths while heart conditions, infection and hemorrhage were the top reasons for death. Just under 40 percent of deaths happened during pregnancy while 45 percent happened in the first month and a half following the baby’s birth and almost 20 percent happened within the first year.
Cardiomyopathy killed the most black women despite the fact that this is a condition that is both treatable and common. More than 10 percent of black women died because of preeclampsia. Nationally, preeclampsia kills between 50 and 70 women annually while in comparison, only two women in the United Kingdom died of it from 2012 to 2014. According to the study, more research needs to be done since this one was based on data from only nine states.
People who believe that they or a loved one has been misdiagnosed might want to consult Columbus, Ohio medical malpractice injury lawyers about how to proceed. Even a nonfatal incident of medical malpractice can cause significant suffering and could result in permanent injury or a setback in a person’s treatment. Not every error constitutes negligence, however, and it will need to be demonstrated that the medical practitioner failed to exhibit the requisite standard of care.