I can’t believe BlogHer has come and gone (as did our New York vacation)! I met so many interesting people and brands and I am slowly catching up and reconnecting.
Now the topic I am discussing today is not an easy one. It’s not about fashion, beauty, travel or food. It’s on a much different plain than any of that.
I attended the Keynote with social entrepreneur, model and founder of Every Mother Counts, Christy Turlington Burns. Christy is one of my all-time favorite models. Her elegance and poise are unmatchable in my eyes. I knew a bit about her non-profit organization, Every Mother Counts, a worldwide initiative to help make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother.
Christy gave us a sneak peek of her new three-part documentary, Giving Birth in America; followed by the addition of Merck for Mothers executive director, Priya Agrawal and Chanel Porshia-Albert, a doula with a special program for low-income expecting mothers in New York City.
Have you ever even heard of the phrase “maternal mortality”? Maternal mortality is defined as:
The death of a woman from complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
It saddens me that something like this exists, but it is a reality.
Did you know that:
- 800 women die a day from pregnancy related conditions. (Merck for Mothers)
- Over 60,000 U.S. women nearly die during pregnancy or childbirth every year. (Merck for Mothers)
- Pre-eclampsia affects 5 – 10 out of every 100 pregnancies in the U.S. every year? (Merck for Mothers)
- The U.S. is behind nearly every other developed nation based on their global rank for maternal morbidity rate.
To hear all of this, knowing that we live in such an amazing country that was thought to have the technology and know-how to stop something as common as the three major occurrences of maternal morbidity, is so deflating.
The infographic below will give you a snapshot of what we are dealing with here in the United States and all over the world.
It can happen to anyone.
Merck & Co., a household name for pharmaceuticals, created Merck for Mothers, a 10 year, $500 million initiative to reduce preventable maternal morbidity worldwide. Via their scientific and business expertise as well as their financial resources, they are providing transformational and sustainable solutions focused on improving the quality of maternal healthcare women receive at a health facility and increasing women’s access to family planning.
Want to know what you can do to help? Spread the word! If you are expecting or know of someone that is, have a PEP talk (Pre-eclampsia, Embolism (pulmonary), Post-partum hemorrhage) with your/their healthcare professional. Knowledge and awareness can save a life!
Learn more about Merck’s effort by visiting MerckForMothers.com. What are you going to do to spread the word?
Naomi says
Oh wow, what an intense post. It’s super important bloggers write about subjects like this one too.
Dana says
Naomi, I thought the same thing about the topic but after I heard about it I felt so compelled to write about it and spread the word. I never knew this existed, especially in the US. Thank you for stopping by!
Shann says
This is so scary and sad. It’s especially concerning that the US is so far behind in making progress to stop these unnecessary deaths.
Dana says
I agree Shann. I was skeptical to write about it because it is so sad, but it is a reality. I hope that I have opened some eyes and spread the word!
Becki S says
Wow what an intriguing topic, I had no idea about these numbers. Thanks for sharing.
Dana says
Thanks for stopping by Becki! I never knew about maternal mortality until that keynote speech. So eye opening.
Antonio says
Tough subject, but it needed to be written about. Thank you for writing it and bringing more awareness!!
Dana says
Thanks for stopping by Antonio!
Maya says
Wow this is such great information!
Dana says
Thanks for stopping by Maya!