Pregnancy-related deaths are soaring in the U.S. among women of color, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The new study found that mortality rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years.
According to the data, rates remain “unacceptably high among all racial and ethnic groups across the U.S.,” but Black, Native American and Alaska Native women are being hit hard by the disparity.
Maternal death rates have doubled among Black women over the last 20 years. Native American and Alaska Native women are also feeling the brunt of the crisis. Rates have tripled among all three ethnic groups.
Dr. Allison Bryant, a co-author behind the alarming study, used state-by-state data ranging from 2009 to 2019 to uncover the dark reality. She believes “structural” and historical “racism” may be to blame for the health crisis, NPR noted.
However, Dr. Gregory Roth, another co-author behind the eye-opening study, claimed that environmental factors could be driving the maternal health crisis. The University of Washington official said that pregnancy-related deaths are worsening in places where people are known to have “better health.”
New York and New Jersey were two states that saw a spike in maternity-related deaths among Black and Latina mothers. Asian moms in Wyoming and Montana were also impacted by the crisis. Maternal mortality rates have been lower among white women, but that appears to be changing in some parts of the country, according to Roth.
“We see that for white women, maternal mortality is also increasing throughout the South, in parts of New England, and throughout parts of the Midwest and Northern Mountain States,” he added.
Pregnancy-related deaths are typically preventable with proper medical care researchers say, but some health conditions carry greater risks than others. For women of color, cardiovascular disease, severe pre-eclampsia, maternal cardiac disease and hemorrhaging can lead to fatal risks during pregnancy. Heart problems and mental health conditions can also contribute to the death of a new mother.
C-sections are also becoming an area of concern in the maternal health industry.
Black women are often recommended to undergo c-sections to prevent complications from vaginal delivery but bleeding and hemorrhaging can also lead to fatal health risks. According to Open Democracy, Black women receive c-sections at a 35.9 percent higher rate than white women. Fortunately, Black mammas can drastically reduce the need for c-sections and epidurals by including a doula in their delivery plan.
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