Maternal deaths have fallen to pre-pandemic levels, new US data says

New government data suggests U.S. maternal deaths have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. About 680 women died last year during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth. That’s down from 817 deaths in 2022. COVID-19 seems to be the main explanation for the improvement: Far fewer death certificates are mentioning it as a contributor to pregnancy-related deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Thursday detailing the final maternal mortality data for 2022. It also recently released provisional data for 2023. The CDC counts women who die while pregnant, during childbirth and up to 42 days after birth from conditions considered related to pregnancy. Excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages and infections are leading causes.