text: what is the leading cause of death of pregnant women in the united states?   a study published in the march 2005 edition of the american journal of public health found that homicide was a leading cause of death among pregnant women in the united states between 1991 and 1999. data taken from the pregnancy mortality surveillance system at the centers for disease control and prevention found that the pregnancy-associated homicide ratio was 1.7 per 100,000 live births.