(image credit: Health Brew)
Black mothers face higher rates of mistreatment and mortality during childbirth, but advocates are working to transform the system.
The US is one of the deadliest high-income countries to give birth in—especially if you’re Black.
A June analysis from the Commonwealth Fund found the country had about 22.3 deaths during or shortly after pregnancy per 100,000 live births overall in 2022, but 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black patients. Compare this to Norway, which had zero per 100,000 in 2022, or Australia, which had 3.5 in 2021, according to OECD health statistics.
What’s more, the CDC reported in 2023 that 20% of 2,407 surveyed US mothers experienced mistreatment during maternity care—like being ignored or verbally abused—with rates climbing to 30% among those who were Black, Hispanic, or multiracial.
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