The Problem
The global leading cause of maternal death is preventable.
Postpartum hemorrhage
Every year, about 14 million people experience severe blood loss after giving birth, or postpartum hemorrhage. Hemorrhage is the global leading cause of maternal death, and for every person who dies, 100 more suffer devastating complications.
In the US, hemorrhage occurs in 5% of all births and accounts for 11% of all maternal deaths. These tragic losses cost the US healthcare system $1.8 Billion each year. Yet, 90% of cases are preventable with early detection and treatment.
Unacceptable disparities
Disturbingly, black women in the US are three times more likely to die from PPH than white women. This underscores the unacceptable racial disparities that pervade maternal health outcomes and is a call to action for the healthcare community to achieve health equity among pregnant and birthing people.
Providers need better tools.
Postpartum Hemorrhage is most often diagnosed by visually estimating blood loss. This method is inaccurate, subjective, and blind to internal bleeding. As a result, hemorrhage is typically diagnosed at late stages where the risk of death is high, and treatment options are limited to expensive and invasive solutions like blood transfusion and surgery. Providers need tools for earlier hemorrhage diagnosis when inexpensive, widely available interventions work best.
