The rate of Texan women dying from pregnancy-related causes doubled in recent years, and scientists aren't sure why.
A new survey looked at maternal mortality statistics in the U.S. from 2000 to 2014, and found that Texas maintained a steady rate of around 17 to 18 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 births until 2010.
But from 2010 to 2014, that number jumped to about 35 deaths per 100,000 births. For reference, the World Health Organization says most developed countries average around 12 deaths per 100,000 births.
The spike in deaths roughly lines up with steep cuts to the state's family planning budget, but the study's authors say such a dramatic increase is tough to explain "in the absence of war, natural disaster, or severe economic upheaval."
Things don't look much better for the rest of the states, either — the study notes maternal mortality rates rose almost 27 percent from 2000 to 2014 across the continental U.S.
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