Death Data
Definition: A maternal mortality is defined as a death while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy, but not due to accidental or incidental causes (ICD-10 codes for underlying cause of death O00-O95, O98, O99, A34)
Data Source: Death (mortality) data are gathered from the Vital Event Statistics Program at the Virginia Department of Health. Deaths are reported by the Virginia city or county where the decedent normally resided at the time of death, regardless of where the death occurred. Learn more about death certificate data at the National Center for Health Statistics website.
Causes of Death: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) medical coding are used to report underlying and contributing cause(s) of death.
Cause of Death Groupings (using ICD-10 Codes):
- Hemorrhage Complications: Hemorrhage complications include bleeding complications such as premature separation of placenta, postpartum coagulation, and antepartum hemorrhage. ICD-10 codes include O43, O45, O46, O71, O72.
- Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy involve high blood pressure and related complications that affect both the mother and baby, such as gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia. ICD-10 codes include O10-O16
- Pregnancy-Related Infection: Pregnancy-Related Infections refer to causes characterized by infections that occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or the puerperium. ICD-10 codes include O23.
- Indirect Cardiovascular Disease Causes: Indirect cardiovascular disease causes include other diseases of the circulatory system that were pre-existing to pregnancy, such as other types of heart diseases, and vascular diseases. It does not include conditions such as cardiomyopathy or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This encompasses ICD-10 code O99.4.
- Other Indirect Non-Obstetric Causes: Other indirect non-obstetric causes include infections, disorders, and conditions that may have been pre-existing or developed during pregnancy and not due to direct obstetric causes but were aggravated by effects of pregnancy on the body. For example, deaths due to existing infections or respiratory diseases that were aggravated by pregnancy are considered indirect maternal deaths. ICD-10 codes include O24.9, O98, O99.
- Other Direct Obstetric Causes: Other direct obstetric causes cover a range of other pregnancy-related complications not already specified. These complications can be a result of pregnancy, interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment, or from a chain of events, such as complications from multiple pregnancies, anesthesia, or cesarean section. Includes all other ICD-10 codes.
Ethnicity and Race: Only two ethnic classes are recognized in the data, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic, where the term Hispanic refers to persons who can trace their ancestry in some degree to the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and the nations of Portugal and Spain. The term Latino is also used for Hispanic. Thus, a Hispanic person may be of any race. Presented race categories are based on the race methods and categories set forth by the U.S. Census Populations with Single Race Categories. The race is reported as race of the decedent at death.
Other: Data are produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at that point of time. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. Additionally, not all data elements are reported at the source. Please see Virginia Code §32.1 for information on data mandated to be conveyed by the patient and/or facility. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the data. Unknown/Unreported variables were removed from the tables. Counts lower than 20 and their associated rates should be interpreted with caution.
Birth Data
Data Source: Birth (natality) data are gathered from the Vital Event Statistics Program at the Virginia Department of Health. Live births are reported by the Virginia city or county where the mother normally resided at the time of birth, regardless of where the birth occurred. Learn more about birth certificate data at the National Center for Health Statistics website.
Ethnicity and Race: Only two ethnic classes are recognized in the data, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic, where the term Hispanic refers to persons who can trace their ancestry in some degree to the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and the nations of Portugal and Spain. The term Latino is also used for Hispanic. Thus, a Hispanic person may be of any race. Presented race categories are based on the race methods and categories set forth by the U.S. Census Populations with Single Race Categories. The race is reported as race of the decedent at death.
Other: Data are produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at that point of time. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. Additionally, not all data elements are reported at the source. Please see Virginia Code §32.1 for information on data mandated to be conveyed by the patient and/or facility. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the data. Unknown/Unreported variables were removed from the tables. Counts lower than 20 and their associated rates should be interpreted with caution.
Birthing Hospitals
Data Source: Birthing hospitals are compiled by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA). There are 49 birthing hospitals as of 2025; however, during the time period of this dashboard, the following hospitals or maternity units have closed:
- HCA LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, 2024
- Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital, 2023
- Sovah Health Martinsville, 2022
- Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, 2020
- Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center, 2019
- Valley Health Warren Memorial Hospital, 2018
