US Maternal Deaths Highest Since 1980s; What’s Causing So Many Mothers To Die From Childbirth?

US Maternal Deaths Highest Since 1980s; What’s Causing So Many Mothers To Die From Childbirth? (Medical Daily, May 3, 2014):

In the United States, the number of women who die during childbirth is higher than it’s been in nearly three decades. Researchers now estimate that for every 100,000 births in the U.S., there are 18.5 maternal deaths. This translates into almost 800 delivery-related deaths in 2013. The U.S. is just one of eight countries to see this rise in maternal mortality in the past decade. The cause for the increase is not known, but researchers believe there may be a combination of influencing factors.