U.S. Hospitals Roll Out Postpartum Wristbands as 70% of Pregnancy-Related Deaths Occur After Delivery
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 17
U.S. Hospitals Roll Out Postpartum Wristbands as 70% of Pregnancy-Related Deaths Occur After Delivery
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 17
Summary
Nearly 50 North Carolina hospitals and providers in at least 24 other states are giving new mothers silicone “I Gave Birth” wristbands to flag postpartum risk for weeks or months after delivery.
The push targets a dangerous gap in care: nearly 70% of pregnancy-related deaths happen after the day of birth, nearly 40% after six weeks, and more than 80% are considered preventable.
ECU Health, which launched the program in 2021, said postpartum readmissions at its Greenville medical center fell by nearly a third, though state officials and researchers say the wristbands’ impact still has not been conclusively studied.
Doctors say the bands can help alert ER staff and first responders to bleeding, infection or blood-pressure complications, but some patients say the message can be painful after stillbirth or traumatic births.
The initiative is spreading as Trump’s 2025 law is projected to cut Medicaid by more than $900 billion over 10 years, threatening postpartum coverage that now supports at least 40% of U.S. births.