When addressing maternal mortality, ‘we must leave no Black woman behind’
In 2020, Black women in the US were 2.9 times more likely to die during or after childbirth than white women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More notably, a new study published in January showed that the wealthiest Black moms are more likely to die in childbirth than the poorest white moms. The study uses California administrative data to show how household income alone is not protective from racism’s impact on maternal and infant health outcomes. It is clear Black maternal mortality is not just a low-income problem.
