Errors On Death Certificates May Be Skewing Mortality Data
17:32 minutes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the maternal mortality rate in the United States is very high compared to other wealthy countries: About 22.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This is on par with China and Iran, based on UNICEF data.
So why is the US maternal mortality rate so high? It may have to do with how we fill out death certificates.
A study from earlier this year found that misfiling of information in death certificates may be inflating the numbers. The study authors concluded that the US maternal mortality rate was actually half of the CDC-reported rate—about 10.4 per 100,000 live births—which is in line with countries like Canada and the United Kingdom.
But if death certificates can skew maternal mortality statistics by such a huge margin, what else could they be influencing? And how does our system for filling out death certificates work?
To answer these questions, guest host Maggie Koerth is joined by Dr. Robert Anderson, chief of the statistical analysis and surveillance branch at National Center for Health Statistics.
Further Reading
- Read coverage of how death certificate inaccuracies hid the true toll of COVID-19 via USA Today.
- Read a CDC report on maternal mortality trends as of 2022.
Segment Guests
Robert Anderson
Dr. Robert Anderson is Chief of the Statistical Analysis and Surveillance Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Segment Transcript
The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Andrea Valeria Diaz Tolivia
@AndreaValeriaDTAndrea Valeria Diaz Tolivia was a radio production fellow at Science Friday. Her topics of interest include the environment, engineering projects, science policy and any science topic that could make for a great sci-fi plot.
About Maggie Koerth
Maggie Koerth is a science journalist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.