The Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team (MMRT) is proud to present the 2022 Triennial Report as mandated by Code of Virginia, § 32.1-283.8. This report provides a three-year overview of the patterns and trends in pregnancy-associated deaths in the state of Virginia from 2018 to 2020. Data for 2019-2020 is preliminary.(*1) Pregnancy-associated death is defined as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy regardless of the outcome of the pregnancy or the cause of death."(*2) The MMRT is dedicated to understanding the circumstances surrounding each of these deaths so that strategies can be developed to reduce maternal mortality across the Commonwealth. The MMRT is an ongoing collaborative effort led by the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Family Health Services and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Data Highlights

• From 2018 to 2020, there were 170 pregnancy-associated deaths in the State of Virginia.

• During this time, the pregnancy-associated death rate increased from 37.1 to 86.6 per 100,000 live births.

• Approximately 41% of deaths occurred between 43 days and 365 days after the end of the pregnancy.

• Over 30% of pregnancy-associated deaths involved women ages 35 and older.
o Pregnancies over 35 are considered high-risk and account for 20.8% of all live births from 2018-2020.

• The Eastern Health Planning Region had the highest rate of pregnancy-associated deaths at 84.0 per 100,000 live births, followed by the Central (61.5 per 100,000 live births) and Southwestern (60.0 per 100,000 live births) Health Planning Regions.

• Black women continue to experience higher rates of pregnancy-associated deaths when compared to their White counterparts.

• Black women are more likely to die from cardiac disorders, cancers, and the exacerbation of chronic illness than other races.

• Statistically, white women were significantly more likely to die of accidental causes than any other race (p<.01).

• Statistically, black women were significantly more likely to die by homicide than any other race (p<.01).

• The rate of pregnancy-associated deaths by suicide increased from 1.0 per 100,000 live births in 2018 to 7.4 per 100,000 live births in 2020.

• Approximately 88% of accidental deaths were from accidental overdoses.

• The rate of accidental overdoses also increased from 12.0 per 100,000 live births in 2018 to 22.2 per 100,000 live births in 2020.

• Pregnancy-associated death rates were consistently higher in non-rural areas versus rural areas.
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(*1) It is estimated that data for 2019 and 2020 will be finalized by September of 2023.
(*2) Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs. (2022, August 8). Definitions. Retrieved from Review to Action: https://reviewtoaction.org/learn/definitions