Maternal Mortality After COVID-19: CDC Data Show Persistent Gaps, With David Goodman, PhD

In this interview from the 2026 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, David Goodman, PhD, discussed new CDC data on pregnancy-related mortality before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic he presented during the annual meeting. Goodman explains how 2 CDC data sources—the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System and Maternal Mortality Review Committee data—offer complementary insight into national trends, causes of death, preventability, and opportunities for intervention.

Goodman notes that pregnancy-related mortality increased rapidly during the pandemic, with the pregnancy-related mortality ratio nearly doubling in 2021 compared with 2019. Although mortality has declined since that peak, he explains that the United States has not fully returned to its pre-pandemic level of pregnancy-related mortality risk.

The conversation also highlights persistent disparities in maternal mortality after COVID-19. Goodman discusses differences by race, ethnicity, and geography, noting that some groups and regions have not experienced the same return toward pre-pandemic mortality levels. He also identifies cardiovascular conditions, infection, and hemorrhage as leading causes of pregnancy-related death across the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.