Maternal Health

Mondays 8:00 – 9:00AM

Severe maternal morbidity and birth complications have risen over the past decade in Illinois.  A study by (Mokashi, Yee, and Feinglass, 2024) found that over a 7.5 year period, vaginal birth complications rose by 22%, cesarean complications rose by 49%, and severe maternal morbidity rose by 43%. Higher rates of severe maternal morbidity were observed among non-Hispanic Black individuals and those with Medicaid insurance. More than half of pregnancy-related deaths occur more than 60 days postpartum. Leading causes of pregnancy-related death in Illinois include substance use disorder, cardiac and coronary conditions, pre-existing chronic medical conditions, sepsis, mental health conditions, and embolism (IDPH, 2023). Two maternal mortality review committees reviewed maternal mortality data for 2018-2020 and determined that 91% of pregnancy-related deaths could have been prevented (IDPH, 2023).  The goal of this Maternal Health ECHO series is to reduce preventable severe maternal morbidity and pregnancy-related deaths in Illinois by strengthening the capacity of frontline clinicians and care teams to deliver equitable, evidence-based maternal care across the perinatal and postpartum periods.. This ECHO series will support providers in implementing best practices for managing high-risk medical and behavioral health conditions, addressing social determinants of health, and delivering trauma-informed, standardized maternal mental health and substance use care, particularly for populations at highest risk.

Topics for Case-Based Learning and Discussion Include:

• Patient-centered collaborative care
• Pregnancy and chronic illness
• Medication management in pregnancy
• Miscarriage
• Substance use
• Immunizations
• Preeclampsia
• Postpartum hemorrhage
• Perinatal behavioral health (i.e., postpartum depression and anxiety)
• Lactation and infant feeding
• First year postpartum care