The MMHA calls for urgent action following 2024 MBRRACE report findings

The 2024 MBRRACE-UK report ‘Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care’ looks at the cases of the 275 of women who died during pregnancy or the year after giving birth in the UK and Ireland between 2020 and 2022. It considers each of these tragedies to uncover learning that could prevent avoidable deaths in future and identify improvements for the wider system of care.

This year’s report shows that the maternal death rate in the UK has increased sharply – rising 53% for the period 2020-22 compared to the previous three-year reporting period. This rate is the highest it has been in almost 20 years.

This rise is in direct contrast to the Government’s ambition to reduce maternal mortality in England by 50% by 2025.

Maternal mental health findings:

• The most common causes of death in women who died between six weeks and a year after giving birth were mental health-related, including suicide and drug and alcohol use.

• More than one third (34%) of all maternal deaths recorded in this period were mental health-related.

• Maternal suicide continues to be the leading cause of direct deaths between six weeks and one year after birth.
  

Reaching all women

Once again health disparities are a strong theme in the findings:

• Black women were three times more likely to die during pregnancy or up to six weeks after compared with white women. Asian women are almost twice as likely to die compared to their white counterparts.

• Women living in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to die.

• A third of the women’s records did not have information on whether they were subject to domestic abuse before or during pregnancy, despite evidence showing abuse can begin or intensify during this time, and clear guidance that it is important for women to be asked about domestic abuse throughout pregnancy.

• 9% of the women who died were classed as facing ‘severe and multiple disadvantages’, with all of these having a mental health diagnosis and many experiencing substance use and domestic abuse.

The data echoes familiar themes that the MMHA hears from many of our members and which are highlighted in our recent project ‘Listening to the stories of women who have experienced child removal due to drug and alcohol use’ about the challenges women can face in accessing mental health support, whilst experiencing the stigma that exists around pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period for women with a history of drug or alcohol use.

Justin Irwin, CEO of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance says:

"The significance of these MBRRACE reports goes beyond numbers; they are about real mothers and the families who are left behind. Each statistic represents a life lost, a family grieving, and the stark reality that we are not making enough progress. Year after year, these reports echo the same troubling findings and show we are heading in the wrong direction.

"It has become a recurring theme in these reports that suicide is the leading cause of direct maternal death in the year following birth. Yet, we know that with appropriate mental health care, recovery is possible. If we want to see meaningful changes, it's essential that health services are properly resourced to reach and support every new and expectant mother.

"We must learn from these tragic deaths. An action plan based on the report’s recommendations is needed now."

Further information

You can find the full report, lay summary and infographics here.