MATERNAL AND CHILD
HEALTH
Childbirth is literally a matter
of life and death for many Black women.
Black women are dying at rates nearly four times that
of white women from pregnancy-related complications.
Facts about Maternal
Mortality and African American Women
 |
Maternal
mortality is defined as deaths that occur during or within
42 days after pregnancy resulting from causes related to
the pregnancy. |
|
Over
10,000 women give birth everyday in the United States.
Everyday, two to three of these women die from
pregnancy-related complications.
Approximately 2,100 women experience complications
prior to labor, and 2,500 have cesarean section
deliveries. |
|
Black
women are four times more likely than white women to die
from pregnancy-related cause of death, including the
leading three which are hemorrhaging, pregnancy-induced
hypertension, and embolism. |
|
The
average death rate for African American mothers is 19.6
per 100,000 births compared to 5,3 per 100,000 for white
women. |
|
This
racial disparity in maternal morbidity is of the largest
of all public health indicators. |
|
Black
women with higher levels of income and educational
attainment also die at disproportionate rates, suggesting
that poverty is not the sole indicator for this disparity. |
Important
Considerations
While socioeconomic status in an important
indicator in maternal mortality, it does not provide a
complete understanding of disparities experienced by Black
women. The profound impact of racism and discrimination in
health care settings and in the society at large must be
considered in maternal mortality.
References:
Maternal Mortality among Black and White Women by State: United
States, 1987-1996, Centers for Disease Control |
