This is sadly worth noting only for the reason that, far too often when discussing the increased risks of maternal death from having an abortion, pro-choice folks defend to the death the disproven belief that "more women die from childbirth than from having abortions."
This new study exposes one self-controllable "major major and growing risk factor" why women die from childbirth, at least in developed nations:
Obesity behind over half UK maternal birth deaths
Interestingly,
It also found that women from poorer backgrounds were up to seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.This implies that in undeveloped and underdeveloped countries, the poverty level very probably also has seven times more negative effect on maternal childbirth death rates than was previously known.
And at least in the UK, another contributing factor to maternal death in childbirth was also discovered just days before this:
[T]he Healthcare Commission found that one in four women giving birth in NHS hospitals were left alone during labor, in clear contravention of official guidelines.Which probably is also likely an even more considerable problem in underdeveloped countries with fewer medical facilities and personnel.
CEMACH director, Gwyneth Lewis, said the report "clearly shows the impact that a mother's overall health has on the outcome of her pregnancy."Obesity and poor health of the mother, poverty level of the mother, and/or inadequate medical resources....President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, said maternal obesity puts more pressure on resources.
These three substantial findings--external to the actual, physical act of giving birth--make it even clearer than prior published studies that it is wrong to blame a higher death risk on the simple fact that one is giving birth.
It would seem the solution isn't "abortion because it's safer", contrary to popular belief. The solutions are instead
- getting obese women in developed nations to lose weight pre-pregnancy,
- poor women being less poor (give your money to microloans, anyone?) and
- having better/more real healthcare to facilitate safe childbirth.
They might actually help women for real.
Or to put it another way,
"It's the POVERTY LEVEL, and the OBESITY, and the LACK OF DOCTORS, stupid!"
Talk about having one's head up your arse.
Cross-posted on After Abortion
Even if it WAS true that abortion was safer than childbirth, it would be irrelevant, because women giving birth are trying to have a live baby, not a dead baby.
It's like saying that it's safer to set a fire than to rush into a burning building to rescue people. Well, duh. The firefighter doesn't WANT a building full of crisp corpses. No matter how much safer arson is, he's not going to abandon firefighting and torch houses instead.