Maternal Mortality Rate To Increase Due To COVID-19: Ohio Doctors

CLEVELAND — The nation's maternal mortality rate is likely to increase because of the spread of the new coronavirus, according to researchers at University Hospitals. A new study predicts more than 50 mothers will die in the U.S. this year because of COVID-19.

“Our model projects an increase in the United States’ maternal mortality rate to at least 18.7 per 100,000 live births as a direct result of this pandemic,” said the studies’ principal investigator Dr. Manesha Putra, Maternal Fetal Medicine, UH Cleveland Medical Center. “More specifically, the study predicts 3,308 severe and 681 critical COVID-19 cases among delivering women in the US, with about 52 maternal mortalities.”

University Hospitals said this was the first study to forecast the impact of COVID-19 on labor and delivery for pregnant women. Researchers used data from March 1 to April 14 to forecast future impacts from the virus.

The researchers then used the Monte-Carlo simulation to estimate COVID-19 cases among women delivering babies in hospitals. MIT describes the simulation as, "a statistical technique used to model probabilistic (or “stochastic”) systems and establish the odds for a variety of outcomes."

This is the same model that was used to forecast COVID-19 spread in several Chinese provinces.

“We know that pregnancy alters the immune system, and given the fact that the majority of American women deliver in a hospital setting it creates a unique challenge in the fight against the novel coronavirus,” said Dr. David Hackney, director, Maternal Fetal Medicine, UH Cleveland Medical Center. “The goal of our research is to best predict the impact of COVID-19 on obstetric care in the United States in order to better prepare maternity units and caregivers.”