Transcript
Part 1: Understanding the Big Picture
1. Outreach to maternal health groups
2. Interviews with 30+ near-miss survivors
3. Targeted outreach to black women on Facebook
4. Interviews with researchers, clinicians & other experts
Patient Advocacy Resources• Preeclampsia & HELLP syndrome: Preeclampsia Foundation• AFE: Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation• C-sections, hemorrhage & placental issues: National Accreta Foundation,
Hope for Accreta & International Cesarean Awareness Network FB• Blood clots & pulmonary embolism: National Blood Clot Alliance,
The Shane Foundation & Pregnancy/Postpartum Blood Clots FB group• Infection: Sepsis Alliance• Heart-related issues: SCAD Alliance & The Fight Against Peripartum
Cardiomyopathy • Mental health issues: Postpartum Support International & The Emily Effect• Life-threatening complications (general): The Unexpected Project &
Maternal Near-Miss Survivors open FB group• Maternal-infant issues: March of Dimes
Part 2: Putting a Face to Maternal Mortality
• 1st surprise: few deaths on Nexis, Google • Obituaries rarely mention cause of death• Families are conditioned to see maternal deaths as
private tragedies• This lets hospitals, regulators, policymakers act as
if there isn’t a problem
2nd surprise: The deaths we did find often didn’tfit the stereotype
The defining question: How does a healthy NICU nurse die at the hospital where she worked?
Key Insights:
• The medical system is often more focused on baby’s health & safety than mom’s
• Lack of standards/protocols in treating obstetric emergencies is a major factor in many maternal deaths & near-deaths
• These systemic problems endanger not just SOME women but ALL women
• Because maternal deaths are almost invisible, lessons are lost
Aha! moment: Many families use crowdfunding sites to honor loved ones
Part 3: Finding the Lost Mothers
Find names on GoFundMe & YouCaring,verify with obits & Facebook
The best tool to monitor recent deaths: Facebook Signal for journalists
To fill in the gaps, ask the community for help
Who we found: 160+ Lost Mothers in 2016 alone
The really hard part: Persuading loved ones to tell their story
• Maternal deaths often cause major rifts in families• Mothers, sisters & other close female relatives are
often more responsive than husbands...• …But the dead woman’s relatives may not have
complete info • Many families see the hospital staff as heroes and
won’t want to criticize• Black families may not want to talk about race
What we published in July 2017: 120 names, 51 photosOct. 2017 update: 134 names, 58 photos
Part 4: What Did We Learn From the Lost Mothers?
• Postpartum deaths & heart-related fatalities are very common
• Mental health issues & substance abuse are major factors in many deaths
• Many deaths are preventable• Often families never find out what happened• When a mother dies, multiple lives are crushed
The Lost Mothers Gallery
More Lost Mothers
More Lost Mothers
Part 5: Lessons for Local Reporters
• Maternal deaths are more than human interest stories. They’re a public health issue
• Don’t treat maternal deaths merely as anecdotal leads
• Understand the underlying medical conditions and the preventability of deaths
• Work extra hard to include women of color — and give yourself (and their families) extra time
Lessons for Local Reporters, cont’d
• Ask: What happened at the hospital? What protocols were in place to handle a crisis?
• Ask: Was there an autopsy?• Ask: What is your state’s process for investigating
maternal deaths?• Ask: If your state has a maternal mortality review
committee, what does it actually do?
Lessons for Local Reporters, cont’d
• Find out: How does your community care for pregnant women and postpartum mothers?
• Understand the sensitivities: race, religion, stigma, guilt
• In reporting about maternal deaths, also find the near-misses
• GET THE MEDICAL RECORDS!
The Lost Mothers Team
Nina Martin
Nina.Martin@propublica.org
Adriana Gallardo
Adriana.Gallardo@propublica.org
Renee Montagne/NPR
Rmontagne@npr.org
Special thanks to NYU journalism grad students: Emma Cillekens, Alessandra Freitas, Clare Church, Alexander Gonzalez, Lauren Gurley, Nina Hedevang, Eli Kurland & Razi Syed
Please share our call-out: Bit.ly/lostmothers
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