Overdose, Homicide, and Suicide as Causes of Maternal Death in the United States

( N Engl J Med . 2026 Feb 12;394(7):722–723. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2512078) Leading causes of maternal death (MD) in the United States include cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hemorrhage, and infection; however, recent data have shown that homicide, overdose, and suicide also occur more frequently than literature has previously reported and can be considered large contributors to maternal mortality (MM). This article is a letter to the editor referencing a study of overdose, homicide, and suicide in pregnant and postpartum women and the importance of their findings.