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The U.S. would have some of the higher rates of maternal mortality in the world — higher even than developing countries.

“Maternal health experts are actively searching for answers about why the ratio of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States is higher than other developed nations, why it is increasing, and why the disparity by race/ethnicity is widening,� the Oregon Health Authority says on its website.

But it turns out those . Different countries count maternal mortality differently. On forms used to tabulate the maternal mortality rates in the U.S., some deaths were identified only because a . If the deaths were counted using an alternative method, the rate was calculated to be 10.4 per 100,000, much more in line with other developed nations.

We should note, though, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to be concerned that the maternal mortality rates are undercounted.

So what does this mean?

Overcounted or undercounted doesn’t really matter. Oregon still needs to drive those numbers down. Yes, the numbers in the state are relatively small numbers. The number of deaths has been between 4 and 12 in recent years in Oregon. They could be lower.

When reviewed 17 pregnancy related deaths in Oregon, the underlying cause of most of them were mental health or substance use disorders. Those can be prevented. And nationally, there is a racial disparity in the number of deaths — even if the rate of deaths was reduced.

The Legislature is for the state’s maternal review committee to get more funding. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe what legislators should be talking about is . A good place to start would be improving help for pregnant women struggling with substance abuse.