Maternal death report was ready for publication when Texas officials shelved it, emails show

[Nevilledog]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/hc120522MaternalMortality-17633376.php

No paywall
https://archive.ph/pxNgY

State health officials had completed a long-awaited report on maternal deaths and were preparing talking points about the findings just days before it was shelved until after the November midterms, according to emails obtained by Hearst Newspapers.

The messages suggest that the agency was moving toward a required Sept. 1 release of the state’s first updated count of pregnancy-related deaths in nearly a decade.

On Sept. 2, however, then-Commissioner John Hellerstedt, an appointee of Gov. Greg Abbott, said the agency needed more time to complete the analysis.

The last-minute delay infuriated maternal health experts who have spent years pressing the state to update its sluggish data review process. Members of the state’s Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, which analyzes pregnancy-related deaths, said they were given no heads up about the announcement.

*snip*

[Mad_Machine76]

1. They didn't want it to "interfere" with the election no doubt

[childfreebychoice]

2. Bad numbers wouldn't have stopped rethugs fr winning, anyway. Nt

[Dustlawyer]

6. Oh contraire! In more Democratic areas they still try to win elections.

Everything affects these races suburban moms have Ben leaning our way.

[area51]

3. And of course, Texas is one of the states

that has refused to expand Medicaid.

[bronxiteforever]

4. Abbott plans to take away couples and women's rights

to have informed healthcare information when making life and death decisions.

[peppertree]

11. Of course. Abbutt isn't 'pro-life' - he's pro-LIE.

And if that ends up killing more minority mothers (and heck, babies), all the better.

[cstanleytech]

5. Any chance this falls under the Freedom of Information Act?

If so then I hope the State will be taken to Court and if the State officials stonewall then they should be held in contempt of Court.

[TeamProg]

7. The entire GOP is corrupt. n/t

[LymphocyteLover]

8. No doubt there was a massive increase in maternal deaths due to their truly evil anti-abortion law

[calimary]

9. Why didn't somebody sneak it out anyway?

Leak it to the local or other media or online?

The other side always tries to find a way to get around rules or conventions or even customs and courtesies. WHY CAN’T WE???

[peppertree]

10. Sure - because it would show 3rd World levels of maternal mortality

Last edited Wed Dec 7, 2022, 07:35 PM - Edit history (1)

The last available data (2020) show around 200 maternal deaths, for around 370,000 births.

While that may sound low, the rate - around 54 deaths per 100,000 births - is approaching Latin American levels (70 per 100,000 births, the average among reporting countries).

And Texas' is over 10 times the average rate for developed countries (exc. the U.S.) of around 5 deaths per 100,000.

But that's ok, because Abbutt is "pro-life" and all.

[hunter]

12. The U.S.A. is not a "first world" nation by many measures.

Here's a chart of maternal mortality by state:

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/maternal-mortality-rate-by-state

[peppertree]

13. Great schematic map at link. Unbelievable.

Among developed countries - excluding the U.S. (36) - the average maternal mortality rate is around 5 per 100,000 births.

As your chart shows, only six states have rates in that ballpark (CA, DE, MA, NV, NH, and VT).

On the other hand - IN (44), GA (48) and LA (58) have rates similar to several Latin American nations. You have:

Uruguay (13)
Chile (23)
Argentina (37)
Brazil (62)
Guatemala (68)
Mexico (71)
Colombia (81)
Venezuela (153)

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/documents/dyb2021/table17.pdf

But then, the governors of Indiana, Georgia, and Louisiana are "pro-life" - so all is well with the world.

[live love laugh]

14. " Texas officials" means Abbott. He needs to go.