Michigan will require reports of deaths of pregnant women

LANSING. (AP) — A new Michigan law requires doctors or hospitals to report deaths of women during pregnancy or within one year of pregnancy.
The requirement starts April 6.

The state has been collecting information on maternal deaths for years, but reporting was voluntary.

The goal is to understand the factors associated with the deaths in an effort to prevent more of them.

The state health department says as many as 100 Michigan women a year die during pregnancy or within a year of pregnancy.