An Overview of Finnish Maternal Health Care As a Potential Model for Decreasing Maternal Mortality in the United States

Background: The United States ranks poorly when compared with other developed nations with regard to its maternal mortality ratio (MMR), defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Meanwhile, Finland consistently ranks as one of the safest places to be pregnant and give birth. The U.S. MMR more than doubled between 1987 and 2016, increasing from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 to 16.9, and has continued to increase. The Finnish MMR in 2017 was reported as 3 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with the United States' 19 deaths for that same year. This article provides a comprehensive outline of Finland's structure of perinatal care, as well as a review of statistics concerning trends in the country's mortality and morbidity risk factors and a comparison with similar parameters in the United States. Methods: The Finnish maternal healthcare system was observed through the shadowing of healthcare providers during various pre- and postpartum patient encounters. Further discussion was supplemented by literature review. Results: Although trends among Finnish mothers for more than the past 30 years indicate increased prevalence of mortality and morbidity risk factors, including C-section rates, maternal mortality remains consistently low. Observational data depict the Finnish perinatal care system as a decentralized community-based network of primary health facilities that emphasizes both physical and psychosocial well-being in the care of its expectant mothers. Conclusion: We suggest that the Finnish perinatal system of care may provide a good template from which the United States can model future efforts to decrease maternal mortality.