Rate of life-threatening childbirth complications spike

Life-threatening childbirth complications are increasing at an alarming rate, according to a new report, especially among minority women. Data from more than 8 million live births in California between 1997-2014 shows a 170 percent rise in complications in each ethnic group, with 14 in every 1,000 women experiencing them in 2014. Conditions included hemorrhage, stroke, and embolism when the women were hospitalized for delivery. Nearly 2 percent of black women experienced such complications, compared to just about 1 percent of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women and fewer than 1 percent of white women. Risk factors such as comorbidities and C-sections did not explain the trends, the authors write, indicating the need for more investigation into maternity-related complications.