Maternal mortality continues to be the maternal health story that Texas media are covering with the greatest depth and frequency, though the recent release of the enhanced analysis of 2012 deaths seems to have changed the emphasis of some of the coverage.

We asked the chairs of our QI initiatives to share some of the research they've found valuable over the last few months. Here are the highlights: 

We spoke to Dr. Manda Hall about the background to TexasAIM, maternal mortality and morbidity in Texas, and what TexasAIM will look like over the next few year

We talk to Dr. George Saade, chair of TCHMB, about his career in maternal and infant health, the work of the Collaborative, and more. 

Maternal mortality continues to be the perinatal news topic that most occupies Texas media. Perhaps the most substantive piece on this topic, in recent months, was the Texas Tribune's "Dangerous Deliveries: Is Texas doing enough to stop moms from dying?" It begins with this heartbreaking opening:

James A. Cooley, a healthcare researcher and analyst in the Medical and Social Services division at the Health and Human Services Commission, died Nov. 11, 2017.

In 2015, over half of respondents (61.4%) from 14 states reported bed sharing with their infant, and 38.5% from 13 states and New York City reported using any soft bedding, most commonly bumper pads and thick blankets.

The authors found that compared with women who never used hormonal contraception, the overall relative risk of invasive breast cancer among women who were current or recent users of any hormonal contraception was 1.20 This and more advisories are available here.