While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take lives around the world, maternal deaths are also expected to rise. According to a research paper published in The Lancet by Johns Hopkins University researchers, maternal mortality rates and the deaths of children aged 5 and younger are anticipated to increase, particularly in developing countries. Researchers point to disruptions in health care systems and access to nutrition.
A Canadian doctor illustrates that at a particularly disparate area in Yemen where she delivered babies, maternal deaths had dramatically increased after March 2020, when the pandemic had taken hold of the globe. One of her patients, a mother of five, arrived at the hospital in severe respiratory distress and delivered a stillborn. Shortly thereafter, she was found to be positive for COVID-19, and died before a bed became available in the intensive care unit.
The study notes that at its worst, global maternal deaths due to COVID-19 are estimated to number over 113,000 in a one year period. Natural disasters such as hurricanes have also forced pregnant women in low-income countries to gather in crowded, unsanitary shelters. These conditions increase their chances for contracting the deadly virus. Additionally, with access to health care restricted in certain areas because of the virus, unintended pregnancies are expected to rise as well, due to decreased access to contraceptives. Maternal mortalities caused by the coronavirus—whether directly or indirectly—may not be realized for years.
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The following reviews from our clients do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of another legal matter. The cases mentioned in the reviews are illustrative of some of the matters previously handled by Grant & Eisenhofer involving various areas of birth injury law. These reviews are endorsements.
The following reviews from our clients do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of another legal matter. The cases mentioned in the reviews are illustrative of some of the matters previously handled by Grant & Eisenhofer involving various areas of birth injury law. These reviews are endorsements.