1 5 ▁death s ▁per ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁birth s . ▁ ▁U C ▁pro ponents ▁have ▁respond ed ▁to ▁these ▁critic isms ▁by ▁emphas izing ▁that ▁child b irth ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁disease , ▁ ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁natural , ▁phys i ological ▁process ▁requiring ▁proper ▁nut r ition , ▁h yg iene , ▁pr en atal ▁self - care , ▁and ▁psych ological ▁prepar ation . ▁They ▁claim ▁that ▁both ▁throughout ▁history ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁imp over ished ▁regions ▁of ▁today ' s ▁world ▁it ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁medical ▁assistance , ▁but ▁rather ▁conditions ▁of ▁pover ty ▁and ▁nut r itional ▁ignor ance ▁which ▁cause ▁mat ernal ▁mort ality ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁major ▁health ▁issue . ▁Rick ets , ▁for ▁example , ▁is ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁daughters ▁of ▁mal n our ished ▁women , ▁resulting ▁in ▁de formation ▁of ▁the ▁pel vis ▁and ▁an ▁increased ▁chance ▁of ▁hem or rh age ▁in ▁scenarios ▁of ▁an emia . ▁Pro ponents ▁assert ▁that ▁the ▁women ▁who ▁plan ▁un ass isted ▁child b irth ▁today ▁( many ▁of ▁whom ▁are ▁giving ▁birth ▁to ▁their ▁second ▁or ▁third ▁child , ▁with ▁a ▁' pro ven ' ▁pel vis ), ▁do ▁so ▁with ▁a ▁wealth ▁of ▁information ▁and ▁self - care , ▁and ▁are ▁better ▁prepared ▁than ▁most ▁women ▁who ▁depend ▁on ▁care ▁prov iders ▁to ▁deliver ▁their ▁child . ▁ ▁Some ▁pro ponents ▁have ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁modern ▁mat ernal ▁mort ality ▁rates ▁in ▁American ▁hosp it als ▁are