Background
Over the last year,
policymakers, researchers, and the public have focused considerable attention
to the number of Texas maternal deaths and severe health outcomes resulting
from pregnancy and delivery. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is
committed to improving maternal health, and preventing maternal mortality and
morbidity in Texas.
At DSHS, the Maternal and Child
Health (MCH) section within the Division for Community Health Improvement uses its
established public health leadership, expertise, experience, and infrastructure
to improve the health and well-being of mothers and children. Public health prevention prolongs and saves lives. Examples of public health prevention are hypertension
that never developed, an obstetric hemorrhage that did not happen, and the
maternal death that never occurred.
Public Health Prevention
There are a number of key public health activities underway to study and
improve maternal health in Texas, supported by DSHS MCH. All of these efforts
are geared toward preventing maternal
mortality and morbidity. One
activity is the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force.
The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task
Force began its work in late 2014 with administrative and epidemiologic support
from DSHS. The multidisciplinary Task Force studies and reviews maternal death
cases and statewide data trends, and makes recommendations impacting maternal
mortality in Texas. More information and the latest Task Force reports can be
found on the Maternal
Mortality and Morbidity Task Force webpage.
Further
activities related to maternal health can be found on the Additional Maternal Health Efforts webpage.
More background information
and statistics on maternal mortality and morbidity in Texas can be found on the
DSHS
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Publications and Presentations webpage.
For more information or
additional questions, please email maternalhealth@dshs.texas.gov