Defining Maternal Health

Maternal health refers to a woman's health and well-being before, during, and after pregnancy and encompasses aspects of physical, mental, emotional, and social health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines maternal health as:

“women's health and well-being during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum (after childbirth).”

Maternal health also includes the absence of maternal morbidity, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal mortality. Maternal morbidity refers to health conditions that complicate pregnancy and childbirth or that have a negative impact on a woman's health and well-being. Severe maternal morbidity (also called acute maternal morbidity) refers to outcomes of labor and birth that result in significant negative short- or long-term consequences to a woman's health. Maternal mortality refers to the death of a woman directly related to complications of pregnancy, birth, or within 12 months of giving birth.

Resources to Learn More

Framing Maternal Health in Rural America
Video/Multimedia
Addresses the state of rural maternal healthcare in the U.S.
Organization(s): Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Date: 6/2019

Healthy Women, Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Futures: Action Plan to Improve Maternal Health in America
Document
Action plan outlining steps the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is taking to reduce maternal mortality and address disparities that endanger women before, during, and following pregnancy. Addresses rural considerations throughout.
Organization(s): U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Date: 12/2020