WHAT IS MATERNAL HEALTH?
Care doesn't end at delivery. The riskiest window often comes after the baby is already home.
Maternal health covers the full arc of pregnancy: preconception planning, prenatal monitoring, safe labor and delivery, and postpartum recovery — physical and mental. The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations, and North Carolina reflects that same national challenge.
A large share of pregnancy-related deaths happen well after a family has left the hospital — a period too often treated as an afterthought in care.
WHY IT MATTERS
The state of maternal health.
North Carolina mirrors a national pattern of high, largely preventable maternal risk.
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26.7
maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in North Carolina, with a severe maternal morbidity rate of 84.9 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations.
84%
of pregnancy-related deaths nationally are estimated to be preventable, according to CDC maternal mortality review data.
53%
of pregnancy-related deaths occur between one week and one year after delivery — long after most postpartum checkups end.
WHEN RISK HAPPENS
Risk doesn't end at delivery.
The leading medical causes of pregnancy-related death shift by stage — which is why care needs to follow the full journey, not just the birth itself.
01
During
pregnancy
Heart disease and stroke are the leading overall cause of pregnancy-related death, often going unrecognized until they become emergencies.
Cardiovascular conditions lead
~22% of deaths
02
At
delivery
Hemorrhage and amniotic fluid embolism cause the most deaths during and immediately after delivery — emergencies where minutes matter.
Severe bleeding & obstetric emergencies
~22% of deaths
03
Postpartum
(1 wk – 1 yr)
Mental health conditions and cardiomyopathy are leading causes in the year after birth — the period families are least likely to still be monitored by a provider.
Mental health & weakened heart muscle
~22% of deaths
KNOW THE SIGNS
What warning signs look like.
The CDC's Hear Her campaign highlights symptoms that can seem minor but may signal a serious complication — during pregnancy or up to a year after.
Severe headache
Especially one that won't go away or doesn't respond to usual relief.
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Sudden swelling
In the face, hands, or legs — beyond typical pregnancy changes.
​
Chest pain or dizziness
Trouble breathing, chest pain, or a racing heartbeat should never be brushed off.
​
Exhaustion
Or persistent sadness, anxiety, or thoughts of harming yourself — mental health symptoms count too.
GO DEEPER
Related pages.
BOMaternal health connects directly to these parts of our work.
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