HR0262 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0262 LRB103 32246 MST 61473 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Currently, over 860 women die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth-related causes in the United States, and the latest data from 2020 shows that over 80% of the pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable; and

WHEREAS, Illinois had more than 130,000 births in 2020 with 75 pregnancy-associated deaths and 943 infant deaths; and

WHEREAS, Eighty-three percent of the pregnancy-related deaths were deemed preventable in Illinois by review committees; and

WHEREAS, African American women in the United States experience maternal-related deaths at three times the rate of non-Hispanic white women, according to the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act, re-introduced by U.S. Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois in February 2021; and

WHEREAS, Non-Hispanic Black women are three times more likely to die of a pregnancy-related condition than non-Hispanic white women in Illinois, according to the 2021 Illinois Department of Public Health Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report; and

WHEREAS, Among the top common causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Illinois are mental health conditions, pre-existing chronic conditions, hemorrhage, and hypertensive disorder; and

WHEREAS, Research has shown that, relative to white patients, Black patients are less likely to be given pain medications, and, when pain medication is given, they receive lower quantities; and

WHEREAS, A 2015 study from JAMA Pediatrics found that Black children with appendicitis were less likely to receive pain medication than their white counterparts; and

WHEREAS, A study examining disparities in the triaging of, or assigning a degree of urgency to, pediatric emergency department patients concluded that Black, Hispanic, and Native American patients received lower acuity triage scores than whites when presenting subjective complaints, such as breathing difficulty or abdominal pain; and

WHEREAS, Researchers have also documented an association between race and increased mortality from stroke, and others have found that minority patients are less likely to receive thrombolytics than white patients; and

WHEREAS, A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences contributes bias in pain assessment and management of patients partially to the fact that approximately half of medical students and residents believed inaccurate biological differences between Black and white people, including that Black people have less sensitive nerve endings or that a Black person's blood coagulates more quickly, as well as other unconscious biases; and

WHEREAS, Biases in patient assessment and treatment affect the level of care for pregnant women, particularly women of color; and

WHEREAS, Studies have also shown that women are generally less likely to be diagnosed with diseases, such as heart disease, and are less likely to receive aggressive treatment for pain management and certain diseases than men; and

WHEREAS, Due to the vast majority of Illinois births occurring in hospitals, hospitals play an important role in addressing maternal mortality; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health currently works with the Maternal Mortality Review Committee and the Maternal Mortality Review Committee for Violent Deaths to review cases of maternal death and to develop statewide recommendations to prevent future maternal deaths; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that Illinois hospitals should be required to report instances of preterm birth, infant mortality, and maternal mortality within reporting under the Hospital Report Card Act, including racial and ethnic information about the mother and the disparity of these occurrences across racial and ethnic groups; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health is urged to work with the review committees to implement policy and corrective actions to address causes of preventable maternal death.