For too long, the high number of pregnancy-related deaths in our state has been a troubling statistic, particularly affecting Black women and mothers in rural areas.
Texas tallied 186 pregnancy-related deaths in 2022, an increase of 56% compared to three years earlier. For context, pregnancy-related deaths nationwide increased 11% during the same time period.
A report from the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee that looked at pregnancy-related deaths in 2020 found that over 80% of them could have been prevented.
Health care barriers for rural women play a role in these terrible outcomes. Roughly half of Texas counties are deemed “maternity care deserts” because they lack obstetric services. And about 28% of rural mothers live more than 30 minutes from a maternity care provider, according to a 2025 report by a group of Texas institutions advocating for better maternal care in rural areas.
Opinion
Now, a health program for young mothers has the potential to reduce maternal deaths in our region.
In November, a partnership of health organizations in Dallas and Tarrant counties launched the Maternal Health Accelerator, or MHA, with the goal of reducing the most severe childbirth complications by more than 20% over three years. Texas Christian University and the UT Southwestern Medical Center are the leading organizations behind this effort, which was started with the help of Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. It is funded through philanthropic donations.
Child Poverty Action Lab and Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation are also involved in sharing and collecting data for this undertaking. While this is a North Texas program, the goal is to eventually adapt its best practices for rural Texas.
One of MHA’s first initiatives is to address postpartum bleeding, a common but severe complication. When women lose too much blood after birth, they need a transfusion. An iron supplement, which is usually prescribed to expectant mothers, can lower the need for a transfusion.
While a bottle of iron can be bought over the counter at grocery stores and pharmacies, for some women, barriers persist, including a lack of transportation. A simple solution – giving iron supplements directly to pregnant women – can make a big difference, said Dr. April Bleich, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU. Parkland Health – another partner in the MHA initiative – has a community program that provides a bottle of iron directly to patients. Over time, Dallas County’s public hospital found the need for blood transfusions decreased by about a third, Bleich said. This program is now being implemented in clinics all over North Texas.
The iron initiative can be reproduced at a larger scale in rural areas, said Dr. Stuart Flynn, founding dean of TCU’s medical school. Flynn is the lead investigator for MHA and will be reviewing data every six months to assess if the program is working.
MHA is also looking into other conditions like kidney problems during pregnancy and high blood pressure postpartum, but the group believes the iron program can make a big difference. The program also includes simulation training for health care professionals in case of hemorrhage.
We hope that this program, with its simple solutions, data collection and strong collaboration among relevant organizations, will save lives in North Texas and eventually improve maternal care across the state.
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