There's a well-established industry centered in California that provides surrogate births and attracts Chinese mothers to the U.S. to engage in what's known as birth tourism.

More than half of these deaths occur well after the mom leaves the hospital. To save lives, mothers need more support in the "fourth trimester, that time after the baby is born," one researcher says.

Laws banning abortion in many conservative U.S. states are expected to boost birth rates among adolescents, whose bodies often aren't built for safe childbirth, or for carrying a pregnancy to term.

Doctors say they're seeing a surge in the number of women who want their "tubes tied." But hospital capacity, paperwork, religion and personal opinion are just some of the reasons requests get denied.

A UNICEF report estimates that hundreds of thousands of babies in South Asia alone have died because of the inability of pregnant women to get appropriate care. India is seeking solutions.