A new study has found that the number of women dying in childbirth in the United States is rising, with Black and Indigenous women affected far more than Caucasian counterparts.
Black mothers died at the nation’s highest rates, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers found what they called rampant widespread disparities of maternal deaths, defined as a death during pregnancy or up to a year afterward.
“While maternal mortality remains unacceptably high among all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., American Indian and Alaska Native and Black individuals are at increased risk, particularly in several states where these inequities had not been previously highlighted,” the study shared.
The most common causes include excessive bleeding, infection, heart disease, suicide, and drug overdose. Additionally, the AP reported last month that maternal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal mortality in America. "Black women are twice as likely to develop severe maternal sepsis, as compared to their white counterparts. Common symptoms can include fever or pain in the area of infection. Sepsis can develop quickly, so a timely response is crucial," the AP reported.
The trend of rising maternal death rates has continued for at least the last few years, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2019, 754 women died of maternal causes in the U.S., followed by 861 in 2020.
But in 2021, that number grew even further, as 1,205 women died of maternal causes throughout the country.
The study concluded that maternal mortality is persisting due to worsening disparities across the United States. It added that prevention efforts implemented while the study was being conducted have also had a “limited impact in addressing this health crisis.”
Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian is the medical director of Hennepin Heath, and he says more needs to be done to address the crisis.
“We know that there are great disparities for Black women, for Indigenous women, and we have to be proactive. Listen, listen, listen. But also get out there. Make sure folks have the appropriate prenatal care.”
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