WASHINGTON -- The United States ranks 41st in the world for
maternal mortality, with 1 in 4,800 women dying from pregnancy
complications, several major international organizations
reported Friday. The U.S. was tied with the eastern European
country of Belarus and just above Serbia and Montenegro. Ireland
led the world with one death in 47,600, followed by Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Italy. Niger had the most deaths per pregnancy
at 1 in 7. In a telephone news conference, organizers of an
upcoming international conference on maternal health reviewed
the organizations' conclusions along with health care experts
and lawmakers. "The assumption that motherhood is the most
natural thing in the world and that there is nothing to worry
about is wrong," said Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif. "Clearly, there
is something to worry about when someone dies every minute from
child birth." One of the most common causes of maternal
mortality is preeclampsia, a form of toxemia, or pregnancy-
induced hypertension. According to the Preec