Georgia has a maternal mortality problem.

No one disputes that too many women in the state die during pregnancy, at delivery, or during the postpartum period either from a pregnancy complication or an unrelated condition aggravated by pregnancy.

But in a new GHN Commentary, Drs. Michael Lindsay and Jane Ellis of the Emory University School of Medicine say media reports about the extent of the problem can sometimes be inaccurate and counterproductive.

“Georgia lacks standardized, rigorous reporting and collection of maternal mortality data,” write Lindsay and Ellis. “But Georgians should know that serious efforts by medical and public health professionals are under way to address this public health crisis, and we urge Georgia’s political leadership to increase their support for this emergency response.”

Here’s a link to their Commentary.