Key Points:

• Black women in the U.S. have a maternal death rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women in 2023.
• Overall, maternal mortality fell below pre-pandemic levels, but racial disparities increased.
• The CDC's report indicates a significant drop in maternal deaths for white and Hispanic women, but not for Black women.
• Leading causes of maternal deaths include excessive bleeding and infections, with COVID-19 still a notable factor.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that in 2023, Black women in the U.S. died at nearly 3.5 times the rate of their white counterparts around the time of childbirth. Despite a decline in the overall maternal mortality rate below pre-pandemic levels, the racial gap has widened. Federal health data shows that the maternal death rate for Black women was about 2.6 times higher than for white women in the past two years.

Dr. Amanda Williams, interim medical director for the March of Dimes, emphasized that the impacts of systemic racism and unequal access to medical care became starkly apparent post-pandemic. The CDC’s comprehensive report highlighted that the maternal death rates for white women decreased from 19 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 to 14.5 per 100,000 in 2023. In contrast, the rate for Black women increased slightly from 49.5 to just above 50, though this change was deemed not statistically significant.

The report further indicated that the mortality rates for Hispanic and Asian American women also fell significantly. For Hispanic women, the rate dropped from about 17 to roughly 12, while for Asian Americans, it decreased from about 13 to around 11. Overall, the CDC reported that a total of 669 women died in 2023 from complications during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, a decrease from 817 deaths in 2022 and 1,205 in 2021.

Among the leading causes of maternal deaths were excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages, and infections, with COVID-19 complicating many pregnancies during the pandemic's peak. Experts pointed out that the burden on healthcare providers during this time led to some pregnant women's concerns being overlooked.

As hospitals and birthing centers have resumed normal operations, the broader impacts of COVID-19 have lessened. Additionally, improvements in postpartum care coverage via federal Medicaid programs now extend to up to 12 months, which has aided recovery efforts for new mothers. Eugene Declercq, a maternal deaths researcher at Boston University, noted that maternal death rates are closely linked to the number of pregnancies and births in the U.S., which have been declining.

Despite this overall positive trend, the increasing racial disparity remains a critical concern, with ongoing analyses indicating that the number of maternal deaths in 2024 may not show significant improvement over 2023.

For more details, read the full report from Los Angeles Times and The Guardian.