While the overall maternal mortality rate in the U.S. declined in 2023, a new CDC report reveals a widening racial gap, with Black women experiencing a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women. The report highlights the continued impact of systemic racism and unequal access to healthcare on Black maternal health.
Black women in the U.S. faced a maternal mortality rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women in 2023, according to federal health data released Wednesday. While the overall maternal mortality rate fell below pre-pandemic levels, the racial gap widened, highlighting persistent disparities in healthcare access and quality. In 2021 and 2022, the maternal death rate for Black women was about 2.6 times higher than white women.
The data suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic initially impacted all pregnant women. However, once restrictions eased and societies returned to normal activities, the underlying effects of systemic racism and unequal access to healthcare resurfaced, leading to a disproportionate impact on Black women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) report on 2023 maternal deaths, based on death certificates, found that the maternal death rate for white women decreased from 19 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 to 14.5 per 100,000 in 2023. Meanwhile, the rate for Black women rose slightly from 49.5 to just above 50, although the report notes this increase was not statistically significant. Rates for Latino and Asian American women also saw declines. Overall, 669 women died in 2023 during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, down from 817 deaths in 2022 and 1,205 in 2021, when it reached its highest point in over 50 years. Leading causes of maternal deaths include excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages, and infections, including COVID-19. The coronavirus posed significant risks to pregnant women, and during the pandemic's peak, expert suggests burnout among healthcare professionals may have contributed to the danger as they grappled with overwhelming caseloads. As the pandemic subsided and hospitals returned to normalcy, the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancies diminished. Additionally, the expansion of Medicaid coverage for postpartum care up to 12 months, instead of the previous seven weeks, provided crucial support for mothers' recovery and improved their health for future pregnancies. Dr. Amanda Williams, interim medical director for the March of Dimes, emphasizes that these positive changes in postpartum care are essential for addressing the disparities in maternal health outcomes. However, the report also acknowledges that the number of maternal deaths is closely linked to the number of pregnancies, which has been declining in the U.S. This trend contributes to the decrease in pregnancy-related deaths. Eugene Declercq, a maternal deaths researcher at Boston University, suggests that based on available data, the number of maternal deaths in 2024 might remain similar to 2023 levels. The CDC declined to comment for the Associated Press, stating they are still processing death reports from last year.
Maternal Mortality Racial Disparities Healthcare Access COVID-19 Black Women's Health
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