Hundreds of women every year die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States — a trend that's been worsening and disproportionately hit minority and rural communities.

Katy Kozhimannil, a University of Minnesota researcher who's helped lead national research into maternal mortality, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why the problem has gotten worse, what presidential candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are proposing to stop it and how worried the average new mom should really be.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

The award-winning NPR/ProPublica series on maternal mortality.

Katy's Health Affairs article about her family's personal experience with death after childbirth.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is touting a plan to addressing black maternal mortality. So is Sen. Kamala Harris, who unveiled her own proposal last month.

Reps. Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood have launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma has increasingly focused on rural maternal mortality.

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