AMERICAN WOMAN, YOUR CHANCES OF

DYING FROM PREGNANCY-RELATED

CAUSES ARE HIGHER THAN SOMEONE

WHO LIVES IN SWEDEN, POLAND OR

LIBYA.

IN AN HISTORIC MOVE THIS PAST

DECEMBER, PRESIDENT TRUMP

ALLOCATED $50,000,000 IN FUNDING

TO DECREASE MATERNAL MORTALITY

OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

TEXAS INADVERTENTLY BECAME AN

EMBLEM ON THE HEALTH CRISIS WHEN

IT MISTAKENLY OVERSTATED THE

NUMBER OF MATERNAL DEATHS IN

THEIR STATE, BUT THE ERROR DREW

ATTENTION TO THE NUMBER OF

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO STILL

HAD HIGHER MATERNAL DEATH RATES

THAN OTHER POPULATIONS.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL

CORRESPONDENT KIRSTY JOHANSEN

TRAVELED TO TEXAS TO MEET THE

WOMAN WHO HELPED PUT THIS ISSUE

IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND IS FIGHTING

FOR CHANGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> Reporter: MORNINGS IN THE

THIERRY HOUSEHOLD ARE LIKE THOSE

IN MANY OTHER AMERICAN HOMES.

SHAWN THIERRY, A SINGLE MOTHER,

IS GETTING HER DAUGHTER, KLAIRE,

READY FOR SCHOOL AND HAS A JAM-

PACKED DAY HERSELF.

THIERRY TRIES NOT TO TAKE ANY OF

THEIR TIME TOGETHER FOR GRANTED,

REMEMBERING SAGE WORDS FROM HER

GRANDMOTHER.

>> SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, I

REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A LITTLE

GIRL, "WELL, WHEN A WOMAN HAS A

BABY, THAT'S THE CLOSEST SHE'S

EVER GOING TO GET TO DEATH."

BUT THAT WAS TRUE BACK IN THE...

AS THEY SAY, THE OLD DAYS.

WOMEN DIED IN CHILDBIRTH.

AND SO, I FIND IT JUST BOGGLING

THAT IN 2019 WE'RE STILL HAVING

THIS CONVERSATION.

I'M GOING TO GO GET YOUR

CLOTHES.

>> Reporter: TEXAS HAS ONE OF

THE MOST CONCERNING MATERNAL

MORTALITY RATES IN THE COUNTRY,

ESTIMATED AT 14.6 PER 100,000

LIVE BIRTHS.

FOR BLACK WOMEN, IT'S EVEN

WORSE: 27.8 PER 100,000.

SHAWN THIERRY ALMOST BECAME ONE

OF THE STATE'S STATISTICS

HERSELF WHILE GIVING BIRTH IN

2012 TO KLAIRE.

>> I STARTED TO TELL THE DOCTORS

IN THE ROOM, "SOMETHING'S NOT

RIGHT."

I ASKED THEM TO PUT ME UNDER, TO

GIVE ME FULL ANESTHESIA,

THINKING THAT IF SOMEHOW I

WASN'T CONSCIOUS AND AWAKE OF

THE LEVEL OF PAIN THAT I WAS IN,

THAT MAYBE I COULD SURVIVE.

AND THEY SAID, "WELL, THE

DOCTOR'S NOT EVEN IN THE ROOM.

HE... HE HAS TO MAKE THAT

ORDER."

AND I JUST SCREAMED, "GO GET

HIM."

>> Reporter: THIERRY DOESN'T

REMEMBER MUCH ELSE OTHER THAN

WAKING UP AND FINDING OUT SHE

HAD GIVEN BIRTH.

SHE SAYS HER DOCTOR NEVER

EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

>> LATER, I FOUND OUT.

A COUPLE OF NURSES CAME IN, AND

THEY SAID THAT I HAD WHAT'S

CALLED A HIGH-BLOCK EPIDURAL.

AND THAT CAN BE AN ADVERSE

REACTION WHEN I BELIEVE IT'S PUT

TOO HIGH IN YOUR SPINE AND THE

MEDICINE GOES TO YOUR HEART

INSTEAD OF DOWN TO YOUR LEGS.

SO, IT WAS PARALYZING MY HEART.

>> Reporter: THIERRY BELIEVES

HER NURSES AND DOCTORS DIDN'T

TAKE HER PAIN LEVEL SERIOUSLY.

SHE SAYS A UNIVERSITY OF

VIRGINIA REPORT MAY HOLD THE KEY

AS TO WHY.

>> THEY SURVEYED MEDICAL

STUDENTS WHO ACTUALLY BELIEVED

THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE

THICKER SKIN.

THEY REVEAL THAT THEY THOUGHT

THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAD A

HIGHER PAIN THRESHOLD.

AND SO, FINDINGS ARE COMING OUT

THAT BLACKS ARE LESS LIKELY TO

RECEIVE PAIN MEDICATION IN THE

E.R.

>> Reporter: AS A BLACK WOMAN IN

TEXAS, THIERRY KNOWS ALL TOO

WELL HOW BIG THE PROBLEM IS.

SHE'S A TEXAS HOUSE

REPRESENTATIVE.

HER DISTRICT INCLUDES THREE OF

THE ZIP CODES WITH THE HIGHEST

MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES.

DRIVEN BY HER PERSONAL ORDEAL,

SHE'S PUSHING THE STATE TO STUDY

MATERNAL MORTALITY, AN ISSUE

THAT DR. CARLA ORTIQUE SAYS HAS

BECOME A CRISIS.

>> AT LEAST 50% TO 80% OF

DELIV... OF THESE DEATHS ARE

PREVENTABLE.

>> Reporter: ORTIQUE IS VICE

CHAIR OF THE TEXAS MATERNAL

MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY TASK

FORCE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN

2013 TO STUDY THE STATE'S

MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE.

>> WE KNOW THAT FOR EVERY

MATERNAL DEATH, THERE ARE

APPROXIMATELY 100 SEVERE

MATERNAL MORBIDITIES.

IN OTHER WORDS, BAD THINGS THAT

HAPPEN-- NEAR MISSES, NEAR DEATH

INSTANCES.

AND SO, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT

THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE

MORTALITY IS JUST THAT.

IT'S THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

>> Reporter: ORTIQUE SAYS 55% OF

WOMEN WHO GIVE BIRTH IN TEXAS

ARE COVERED BY MEDICAID.

MOST LOSE THAT COVERAGE 42 DAYS

AFTER DELIVERY.

>> AND SO, IT'S LIKELY NOT A

COINCIDENCE THAT YOU SEE A

HIGHER INCIDENCE OF DEATH AFTER

THAT 42-DAY MARK.

>> Reporter: TEXAS HAS THE

LARGEST UNINSURED RATE IN THE

COUNTRY IN PART BECAUSE IN 2012

THE STATE LEGISLATURE REJECTED

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL

AID TO EXPAND MEDICAID UNDER THE

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.

DR. ORTIQUE SAYS THAT DECISION

COUPLED WITH POVERTY, OBESITY

AND INCREASES IN OPIATE ABUSE

HAS SERVED ONLY TO FURTHER

MARGINALIZE THOSE IN NEED.

>> SHE WAS ALWAYS EXPERIMENTING

WITH HAIR.

>> Reporter: CHERYL PERKINS'

DAUGHTER, CASSAUNDRA, HAD

INSURANCE WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH TO

TWINS CAMILLE AND CATREYAL, NOW

FOUR YEARS OLD.

SHE ALREADY HAD AN OLDER

DAUGHTER, JOURNII, WHO IS NOW

SIX.

BUT EVEN WITH INSURANCE, DOCTORS

MISSED EARLY SIGNS OF TROUBLE.

>> SHE HAD WENT TO THE E.R. 22

TIMES WITH... WITH NO

RESOLUTION, WHICH... THAT NEVER

SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE,

YOU KNOW, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE

DOCTORS WOULD SAY, "WHY IS THIS

PERSON COMING BACK HERE?

WE'RE DOING... WE'RE NOT DOING

SOMETHING."

>> Reporter: CASSAUNDRA WAS

EVENTUALLY DIAGNOSED WITH AN

INFECTION, AND HER LABOR WAS

INDUCED JUST SIX MONTHS INTO HER

PREGNANCY.

HER TWINS WEIGHED ONLY TWO

POUNDS EACH.

SHE DIED A WEEK AND A HALF LATER

AFTER HER LIVER FAILED.

>> TRYING TO GET THESE LITTLE

HAIRS BACK IN PLACE.

>> Reporter: HER MOTHER IS NOW

RAISING THREE YOUNG CHILDREN

ALONE.

>> THERE.

>> NO, I WANT TO WASH IT.

>> CATREYAL, GO GET YOUR

BROTHER'S POLE SO HE CAN EAT.

>> Reporter: CATREYAL,

MEANWHILE, HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED

WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND NEEDS

24/7 ASSISTANCE.

>> THAT'S LIKE...

THAT IS SO HARD.

>> Reporter: THREE YEARS AFTER

CASSAUNDRA'S DEATH, DR.

ORTIQUE'S TASK FORCE FOUND THAT

THE RATE OF RACIAL DISPARITY HAD

NOT CHANGED.

MORTALITY AMONG BLACK WOMEN WAS

MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT OF WHITE

WOMEN.

BUT THOUGH THE STATE HAS SINCE

DEVELOPED A BETTER METHOD THAT

FOCUSES ON TRACKING NUMBERS, IT

STILL DOES NOT INCLUDE WOMEN WHO

DIE OUTSIDE THE 42-DAY MEDICAID

CUT-OFF.

>> NOW, THIS ROOM HERE, THIS IS

OUR OBSTETRIC ROOM.

>> Reporter: SHAWN THIERRY HAS

ALSO PROPOSED A MATERNAL

MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY DATA

REGISTRY BILL WHICH WOULD

REQUIRE COLLECTING HEALTH DATA

AT THE TIME A PREGNANT WOMAN IS

ADMITTED FOR DELIVERY THROUGH

364 DAYS POSTPARTUM.

UNDER THE BILL, DATA WOULD BE

COLLECTED ON A DAILY BASIS AND

WOULD INCLUDE THE MOST HIGH-RISK

CONDITIONS, SUCH AS HEMORRHAGING

AND PREGNANCY-INDUCED

HYPERTENSION.

ONE OF THE REASONS THIERRY WANTS

TO INTRODUCE THE DATA REGISTRY

IS SO BROADER STATISTICS CAN

REINFORCE THE SEVERITY OF

MATERNAL DEATHS AND SET A NEW

STANDARD FOR STATES ACROSS THE

U.S.

THIERRY IS ALSO TRYING TO PASS

TWO MORE BILLS.

ONE WOULD EXTEND MEDICAID

COVERAGE FOR ELIGIBLE WOMEN UP

TO ONE YEAR AFTER THEY DELIVER

OR EXPERIENCE A MISCARRIAGE.

THE OTHER WOULD REQUIRE CULTURAL

COMPETENCY TRAINING FOR MEDICAL

PROFESSIONALS TO REMOVE BIAS IN

TREATMENT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN

WOMEN, SOMETHING THE TASK FORCE

RECOMMENDED.

PHYSICIANS LIKE DR. CARLA

ORTIQUE SAY THAT'S FINE, BUT

ONLY AS LONG AS IT'S VOLUNTARY.

>> WHILE I DID SAY I ABSOLUTELY

SUPPORT HAVING TRAINING, I'M

NOT... I CAN'T SAY THAT I

TOTALLY SUPPORT MANDATES.

>> Reporter: MEANWHILE, THE

STATE HAS ALREADY MADE SOME

CHANGES TO ADDRESS MATERNAL

HEALTH ISSUES.

TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

WOMEN'S PAVILION HAS ITS OWN

INTENSIVE CARE WARD WITHIN THE

LABOR AND DELIVERY UNIT, THE

FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE

COUNTRY.

AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

STATE HEALTH SERVICES

INTRODUCED MATERNAL SAFETY

BUNDLES WHICH DETAIL TREATMENT

POLICIES, SAFETY EQUIPMENT,

TRAINING PROGRAMS AND INTERNAL

REVIEWS THAT EVERY HOSPITAL

SHOULD HAVE.

SO FAR, 85% OF BIRTHING

FACILITIES IN THE STATE HAVE

ROLLED OUT THE PROGRAM.

YOU'RE PUTTING THREE BILLS

FORWARD.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T PASS?

>> I'LL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.

THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT'S

GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT I'M... THEN, AFTER THAT,

I'LL HAVE TO WAIT TWO MORE

YEARS.

>> Reporter: IN FACT, THIS

MONTH, HER DATA REGISTRY BILL

WAS PASSED BY THE TEXAS HOUSE,

BUT HER TWO OTHER BILLS WERE NOT

GRANTED A COMMITTEE HEARING.

BUT SHE VOWS TO KEEP UP THE

FIGHT EVEN IF SHE HAS TO WAIT

FOR THE NEXT BIENNIAL

LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

CAN TEXAS WAIT TWO MORE YEARS?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID IN