Tennessee Code Title 68. Health, Safety and Environmental Protection § 68-3-602

(1) Maternal deaths are a serious public health concern and have a tremendous family and societal impact;

(2) Maternal deaths are significantly underestimated and inadequately documented, preventing efforts to identify and reduce or eliminate the causes of death;

(3) No processes exist in this state for the confidential identification, investigation, or dissemination of findings regarding maternal deaths;

(4) The centers for disease control and prevention has determined that maternal deaths should be investigated through state-based maternal mortality reviews in order to institute the systemic changes needed to decrease maternal mortality; and

(5) There is a need to establish a program to review maternal deaths and to develop strategies for the prevention of maternal deaths in this state.

(1) “Department” means the department of health;

(2) “Maternal death” or “maternal mortality” means a:

(3) “Pregnancy-associated, but not pregnancy-related death” means the death of a woman while pregnant or within one (1) year following the end of pregnancy, due to a cause unrelated to the pregnancy; and

(4) “Pregnancy-associated death” means the death of a woman while pregnant or within one (1) year of the end of her pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death and regardless of the duration or site of the pregnancy;

(5) “Pregnancy-related death” means the death of a woman while pregnant or within one (1) year of the end of her pregnancy, regardless of the duration or site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.