More American women died around the time of childbirth last year than in 2023, according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wednesday.

The maternal mortality rate rose to 19 deaths per 100,000 in December 2024, an increase from 18.6 the year before.

Maternal deaths spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, bumping the nation’s maternal mortality rate up to 33.8 deaths per 100,000 live first in June of 2022, according to the data.

The CDC referenced the World Health Organization’s definition of a........

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