New 2019-2023 Philadelphia Maternal Mortality Report
Compiled by the City’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), the report analyzes local maternal death cases over five years to identify critical gaps, while offering actionable recommendations to prevent future tragedies and improve perinatal health outcomes in Philadelphia.
Maternal mortality (defined as any death that occurs during pregnancy, or within 1 year of the end of pregnancy) has gradually risen across the United States over the last three decades. In Philadelphia, the MMRC plays a vital role in responding to this trend by conducting in-depth, multidisciplinary reviews of maternal deaths to understand the complex medical and social circumstances surrounding each loss.
The report highlights opportunities to strengthen clinical care, improve coordination across systems, expand behavioral health supports, and foster trust between communities and healthcare institutions. The findings and recommendations will help inform collective efforts to strengthen maternal health and improve outcomes for Philadelphia families.
Key highlights and context from the Philadelphia Maternal Mortality, 2019-2023 report include:
Leading causes: The report identifies the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths as unintentional drug overdose, infection, and cardiovascular conditions.
Community-driven initiatives: Managed by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Reproductive, Adolescent, and Child Health (ReACH), the MMRC operates within the Birth Justice Philly program, leveraging data directly from this review to implement community-centered perinatal health initiatives.
A legacy of local review: Established in 2010 as the first city-level (non-statewide) review committee in the country, the Philadelphia MMRC has reviewed more than 400 cases to date, providing community-informed insight into the specific local factors driving maternal mortality.
