Racial Disparities in Maternal Health
2021
This report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights highlights the extreme racial disparity in maternal mortality in the United States, underscoring the impact of the social determinants of health, bias in healthcare, and the federal government's role in addressing these issues. Black women in the U.S. are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, and Native American and Alaska Native women are more than two times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as their white counterparts. These disparities have become much more drastic in the past three decades.
The report examines numerous underlying causes of racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality, including chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, but also factors like racism, poverty, and lack of access to insurance. The authors review various federal programs like Medicaid, national child and maternal health education programs, and Healthy Start. Further, the report includes a review of three states - Georgia, North Carolina, and New Jersey - where new policies have been developed to gather information about trends and best practices to reduce racial disparities in maternal health. Accompanying this report is a video briefing and a press release.
Racial Disparities in Maternal Health
Source:
Racial Disparities in Maternal Health. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 2021. https://www.usccr.gov/reports/2021/racial-disparities-maternal-health.