Safe Motherhood Quilt Project
Ina May Gaskin has been researching maternal death for several years. Her statistics are of U.S. women who have died during birth or afterward because of birth. She is creating a quilt in which every quilt square represents an American mother who died.
Her website includes a Maternal Mortality in the USA Fact Sheet. All of the facts she has gathered are scary and important. Here are three:
- The World Health Organization reported in 2007 that 40 countries have lower maternal death rates than the United States.
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The rate of maternal death directly related to pregnancy or birth appears to be rising in the United States. In 1982, the rate was approximately 7.5 deaths per 100,000 live births. By 2004, that rate had risen to 13.1 deaths per 100,000 births. By 2005, the rate was 15.1 deaths.
- The Healthy People 2010 Goal is no more than 3.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. This is a goal that other nations have achieved.
Ina May Gaskin is trying to improve America’s reporting of these deaths because each state does it differently and most greatly under report them. Only with real statistics can we figure out how to improve women’s birth care. New babies need their mothers!
The quilt displayed at the "Heart and Hands" sponsored conference in March 2009.
Tags: Safe Motherhood Quilt