Maternity deaths hit highest level in two decades, study finds

The number of women dying during or soon after pregnancy in the UK has hit the highest levels for nearly two decades, according to a new study. It found that women from black ethnic backgrounds are three times more likely to die compared to white women and the death rate among those from Asian ethnic backgrounds is twice as high as that of white women. The data has been compiled in a study led by Oxford Population Health’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit. Professor Marian Knight, who led the study, told Sky News there were “pressures” on units across the country and the whole maternity system needed to be looked at. She also said help around pre-pregnancy health needed to be improved to ensure women are as “healthy as possible” before having a baby.