Rhode Island Pregnancy and Postpartum Death Review Committee (PPDRC)
Mission
Identify pregnancy-associated deaths, review deaths caused by pregnancy complications and/or other associated causes, identify factors contributing to these deaths, recommend public health and clinical interventions that may reduce these deaths and improve systems of care.
The PPDRC is a multidisciplinary review board, first convened in 2021, that examines the deaths of those who were pregnant or within one year of pregnancy when they died.
The vision of the PPDRC is to eliminate preventable perinatal deaths, reduce perinatal morbidities, and improve population health for people in the perinatal period.
Definitions
- Pregnancy-associated: A death during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy irrespective of cause.
- Pregnancy-related: A death during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy from a pregnancy complication, a chain of events initiated by pregnancy, or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy.
What we do
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Convey committee findings in an annual recommendations report to use as a guide for addressing and refining the care of Rhode Island’s perinatal population.
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Advance maternal health recommendations through the Data-to-Action Team.
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Expand the understanding of pregnancy and postpartum deaths and their contributing factors.
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Engage with representatives from affected populations, including Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and various healthcare professionals, such as maternal-fetal medicine physicians, midwives, OB/GYNs, doulas, lactation consultants, nurses, and substance use specialists.
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Partner with Rhode Island’s Child Death Review Team and the Overdose Fatality Review Team to identify areas to advance preventative measures.
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Develop and deliver annual, action-oriented recommendations to improve healthcare systems, promote health equity, and decrease deaths during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Rhode Island Department of Health