Maternal mortality--United States, 1982-1996.

Maternal and infant mortality are basic health indicators that reflect a nation's health status. In the United States, infant mortality has declined steadily; however, this is not true for maternal mortality. This report presents data from death certificates compiled by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, which indicate that in the United States, the annual maternal mortality ratio remained approximately 7.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births during 1982-1996.