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Background Approximately 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States every year. Methods Data from CDC’s national Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS) for 2011–2015 were analyzed. Pregnancy-related mortality ratios (pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births; PRMRs) were calculated overall and by sociodemographic characteristics. The distribution of pregnancy-related deaths by timing relative to the end of pregnancy and leading causes of death were calculated. Detailed data on pregnancy-related deaths during 2013–2017 from 13 state maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) were analyzed for preventability, factors that contributed to pregnancy-related deaths, and MMRC-identified prevention strategies to address contributing factors. Results For 2011–2015, the national PRMR was 17.2 per 100,000 live births. Non-Hispanic black (black) women and American Indian/Alaska Native women had the highest PRMRs (42.8 and 32.5, respectively), 3.3 and 2.5 times as high, respectively, as the PRMR for non-Hispanic white (white) women (13.0). Timing of death was known for 87.7% (2,990) of pregnancy-related deaths. Among these deaths, 31.3% occurred during pregnancy, 16.9% on the day of delivery, 18.6% 1–6 days postpartum, 21.4% 7–42 days postpartum, and 11.7% 43–365 days postpartum. Leading causes of death included cardiovascular conditions, infection, and hemorrhage, and varied by timing. Approximately sixty percent of pregnancy-related deaths from state MMRCs were determined to be preventable and did not differ significantly by race/ethnicity or timing of death. MMRC data indicated that multiple factors contributed to pregnancy-related deaths. Contributing factors and prevention strategies can be categorized at the community, health facility, patient, provider, and system levels and include improving access to, and coordination and delivery of, quality care. Conclusions Pregnancy-related deaths occurred during pregnancy, around the time of delivery, and up to 1 year postpartum; leading causes varied by timing of death. Approximately three in five pregnancy-related deaths were preventable. Implications for Public Health Practice Strategies to address contributing factors to pregnancy-related deaths can be enacted at the community, health facility, patient, provider, and system levels.

of tobacco products, are critical to reducing tobacco-related diseases and deaths in the United States. § NATS is a stratified, random-digit-dialed landline and cellular telephone survey of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. The 2013-2014 NATS included 75,233 respondents (70% landline, 30% cellular); the overall response rate was 36.1% (landline 47.6%, cellular 17.1%). Based on established conventions regarding patterns of tobacco product use (3), NATS questions used varying thresholds of lifetime use to separate established users from experimenters and nonusers. Four tobacco product types assessed in NATS had lifetime usage thresholds: cigarettes (≥100 cigarettes); cigars/cigarillos/ filtered little cigars (≥50 times); regular pipes (≥50 times); and chewing tobacco/snuff/dip (≥20 times). Water pipes/hookahs, e-cigarettes, snus, and dissolvable tobacco products did not have usage thresholds. Respondents who met the respective thresholds for cigarettes, cigars/cigarillos/filtered little cigars, Continuing Education examination available at

E-cigarette use has increased rapidly among U.S. adults. However, reasons for use among adults are unclear. We assessed reasons for e-cigarette use among a national sample of U.S. adults. Data were collected via online surveys among U.S. adults aged 18 or older from April through June 2014. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to assess reasons for e-cigarette use among 2448 current e-cigarette users, by sociodemographic characteristics and product type. Assessed reasons included cessation/health, consideration of others, convenience, cost, curiosity, flavoring, and simulation of conventional cigarettes. Among current e-cigarette users, 93% were also current cigarette smokers. The most common reasons for e-cigarette use were cessation/health (84.5%), consideration of others (71.5%), and convenience (56.7%). The prevalence of citing convenience (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.49) and curiosity (aPR = 1.54) as reasons for e-cigarette use were greater among current cigarette smokers than nonsmokers (P < 0.05). The prevalence of citing flavoring as a reason for use was greater among adults aged 18 to 24 (aPR = 2.02) than 55 or older (P < 0.05). Tank use was associated with greater prevalence of citing every assessed reason except convenience and curiosity. Cessation- and health-related factors are primary reasons cited for e-cigarette use among adults, and flavorings are more commonly cited by younger adults. Efforts are warranted to provide consumers with accurate information on the health effects of e-cigarettes and to ensure that flavoring and other unregulated features do not promote nicotine addiction, particularly among young adults.