Safety/Injury Committee

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Every mother deserves to feel safe. From the delivery room to daily life, we focus on simple but powerful ways to reduce injuries and save lives.

Patients with Lived Experience

After giving birth, I expected joy, bonding, and support. Instead, I found myself in a dark and isolating place. I experienced emotional and physical abuse during a time when I was most vulnerable. Alongside that, I battled postpartum depression and anxiety—completely alone. No one ever screened me for mental health concerns. No one asked how I was really doing. I suffered in silence for years, believing that what I was feeling was somehow my fault. I often felt like I was “crazy,” and when I did try to open up, my feelings were dismissed or invalidated. That silence became a heavy burden. Looking back, I now understand that I wasn’t broken—I was unheard, unseen, and unsupported. My story is not unique, and that’s why I’m sharing it. Every parent deserves to be screened, supported, and believed. No one should have to navigate postpartum struggles alone.

Anonymous

about us

What we do as the Safety/Injury Committee

The Safety/Injury Committee of the Kentucky Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Task Force focuses on reducing maternal deaths related to injury, trauma, and substance use. By reviewing cases and identifying preventable factors, the committee works to improve safety through better screening, documentation, and care coordination.

Key priorities include addressing overdose, domestic violence, and mental health challenges during and after pregnancy. Through collaboration with healthcare and community partners, the committee turns insights into action to protect maternal health across Kentucky.

Overlooked Drivers of Maternal Mortality

While medical complications like hypertension and hemorrhage are well-known contributors to maternal mortality, a growing body of evidence highlights the role of socially driven safety risks—including violence, injury, and systemic inequities—as major, yet often overlooked, causes of maternal death.

Homicide is a leading cause of death during pregnancy and the postpartum period, particularly among Black women and teens 1 These deaths are often linked to intimate partner violence (IPV), which can escalate during pregnancy and go undetected in clinical settings.

Intimate partner violence affects 1 in 6 pregnant people, and is associated with increased risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, and maternal death 1

Social determinants of health—such as poverty, housing instability, and lack of access to safe environments—compound these risks. Women in under-resourced communities are more likely to experience violence, and less likely to have access to trauma-informed care or legal protections. 1

Rural and marginalized populations face higher rates of maternal injury and death due to limited access to emergency services, safe housing, and culturally competent care. 2

These socially driven risks are not just background factors—they are direct threats to maternal health. Addressing them requires coordinated efforts across healthcare, public safety, housing, and social services to ensure that every pregnant and postpartum person is safe, supported, and seen.

The BIG 3

The BIG 3 Online Training Program highlights the three preventable factors that explain 70-80% of maternal mortality and morbidity in Kentucky.

The BIG 3 are:

Violence

Mental Health Conditions

Substance Use

In 4 short modules, ‘The BIG 3’ training describes why violence, substance use, and mental health conditions can lead to maternal deaths or injuries, how helping professionals can ask pregnant or postpartum about ‘The BIG 3’, and where to refer otherwise provide help for patients who experience one or more of ‘The BIG 3’.

The BIG 3 training is free, and CEU are also available at no cost. By identifying and addressing ‘The BIG 3’ this training seeks to reduce maternal deaths and injuries in Kentucky.

Realistic video vignettes

Illustrate common scenarios involving violence, substance use, and mental health challenges during pregnancy and postpartum

Interactive role-play exercises

Help providers practice sensitive conversations around screening and referrals

Bystander-informed prevention strategies

Empower providers to challenge stigma, implicit bias, and assumptions about maternal health

Integrated evidence-based content

Drawn from two proven programs, tailored to address Kentucky’s maternal health priorities

Practical screening tools and referral pathways

Support timely, effective care for at-risk patients

Free, self-paced online access

Makes it easy for providers across Kentucky to participate and complete the training

Resources

This comprehensive list of national and Kentucky-based resources offers free, confidential support for pregnant and postpartum individuals facing mental health, substance use, domestic violence, or other personal challenges. It includes hotlines, treatment locators, and assistance programs for healthcare, housing, financial aid, and parenting support.

For IPV concerns, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline

Provides free, confidential 24/7 services to victims of domestic violence.
Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Text “start” to 88788

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For sexual assault concerns, call the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) Hotline:

Provides confidential 24/7 support to victims of sexual assault.
Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) Routes to a local provider 24/7. Visit rainn.org/resources for information about online chat services in Spanish.

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