Why Do Black Women Face Higher Childbirth Risks?

The rates of both infant and maternal mortality in the U.S. are far higher than those of other developed nations. In 2022, the U.S. recorded more than five infant deaths for every 1,000 lives births. And an estimated 700 to 900 women die in the U.S. every year from pregnancy or childbirth complications – many of which are preventable – including heart conditions, infections, hemorrhage, hypertension-related diseases, blood clots and stroke.

This public health crisis disproportionately affects Black women and babies. Black women in the U.S. are three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as their white counterparts. This disparity exists without regard to the mother’s socioeconomic or educational background. Additionally, black babies are twice as likely to die as white babies in their first year from issues such as prematurity, birth defects, low birth weight and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID).

Why Are Black Women and Babies Dying at Higher Rates?

At the root of these disparities is institutional racism, including historical injustices in medicine. Black people, and especially young black women, are more likely to have experienced a negative interaction with a healthcare professional, such as not being listened to or being misdiagnosed. All of this has led to a mistrust of the medical community among African Americans, making them less likely to seek out care and leading to poorer outcomes for Black mothers and babies.

Other factors that affect the African American communities at higher rates include lack of access to affordable, quality care, living in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates, and chronic stress.

Bridging the Gap

Addressing these health disparities among black women and children requires a multifaceted approach. It’s important to tackle systemic issues such as providing better access to care within Black neighborhoods and communities and providing education and resources for families that can help improve health outcomes.

Other ways the medical community can help improve Black infant and maternal health include:

Diversity in healthcare. A diverse medical workforce that includes Black OB/GYNs, midwives and pediatric professionals is one way to improve care for African American women and children. Having a provider who has similar life experiences can help build trust and make women more likely to seek out help when they have medical issues.

According to a recent survey, less than 6 percent of U.S. physicians and 11 percent of U.S. OB/GYNs are African American, so a focus on developing and recruiting medical students and physicians of color is important for improving diversity in healthcare.

Educating the workforce. Training healthcare workers on racial disparities will help them become more culturally competent and empathetic providers, regardless of their color. Offering such training can give providers a deeper understanding of the systemic issues at play and help them eliminate their own implicit biases in patient care.

Care in the community. Hospital systems and community-based organizations must work together to help ensure that families have the services, resources and support they need for healthy pregnancies and babies.

This can include better access within the community to pregnancy, childbirth and infant care experts such as midwives, doulas and lactation consultants. Building relationships with these healthcare providers during pregnancy will help encourage women to keep up with prenatal and postnatal care and seek out help when a problem arises with either mom or baby.

Educational resources are another way to help empower women to advocate for themselves and their babies. This can include access to information and classes on childbirth and breastfeeding, infant first aid and CPR, safe infant sleep practices, and more.

Related Links

The women’s health providers at UH provide expert prenatal and postpartum care and a variety of resources to help guide new parents, including childbirth and parenting classes, breastfeeding support, our pregnancy handbook and more.

UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s has a wide network of highly skilled pediatricians at convenient locations across the region. Our specialists have the advanced training and experience to care for children of all ages and provide parents with the support and encouragement they need.