Between 1998 and 2009, the rate of serious complications like heart attack, stroke, severe bleeding and kidney failure during or after childbirth roughly doubled among U.S. women, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Heart problems were the most common cause of death. And in this latest study, Callaghan's team found that one childbirth complication - the need for cardiac surgery during or after delivery - showed a "dramatic" rise over time.
It was still rare: In 2008-2009, just under 1 per 2,000 women needed a heart procedure during delivery.
When calculating the rate of serious complications, 1.29% of all pregnancies ended in a serious complication. That is more than in every hundred women. For the period, between 1998 and 2009, 1.34% of all pregnancies ended in a severe complication.
In conclusion, Dr. William M. Callaghan of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), says that "the best outcomes happen when a woman is as healthy as possible going into pregnancy."
http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2012/oct/23/serious-birth-complications-rising-in-the-us/
