An update on maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States.

Significant strides have been made in recent years to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality rates around the world. But in the United States, maternal mortality rates have increased from 6.6/100,000 live births in the 1980s and 1990s to somewhere between 13.3/100,000 live births, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 21/100,000 live births, as reported by the World Health Organization. This article discusses factors influencing this trend, and explores organizations, systems and programs that have shown promise for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.