Medical Racism's Role in the Recent Spike in Maternal Mortality

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Medical Racism’s Role in the Recent Spike in Maternal Mortality
3/20/2023 by Margo Snipe
Black women had the largest rate increase between 2020 and 2021, new data from the CDC shows. Maternal and child health experts point to systematic racism as the root cause.



The racial gap in who experiences the most severe consequences of childbirth is growing. Most Black maternal and child health experts point to systematic racism as the root cause. (Lindsay Mgbor / Department for International Development via Flickr)

This article was originally published by Capital B News, a Black-led, nonprofit news organization reporting for Black communities across the country.

The coronavirus exacerbated the effects of medical racism already baked into the United States healthcare system, leading to a spike in Black maternal mortality rates between 2020 and 2021, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals. The recent statistics, though bleak, come as no surprise to maternal health experts, who say the disparities have persisted for decades. “This isn’t a new problem,” said Tiffany Green, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on population health and obstetrics and gynecology. The disparities have been well-documented for many years, she said.


(Margo Snipe / The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; created with Datawrapper)

In 2021, more than 360 Black women died of maternal health causes across the country, according to the CDC, up from just over 290 in 2020 and more than 240 the year prior. The spike amid the coronavirus pandemic is likely due to a combination of factors, ranging from infection by the virus itself to medical racism. As women’s age increased, so did the maternal mortality rate. For Black women over 40, the rate was over 300 per 100,000 births, compared to 42 per 100,000 for those under 25.

Despite advancements in medicine and technology over the years, the racial gap in who is suffering the most severe consequences of childbirth is growing, and most Black maternal and child health experts point to systematic racism as the root cause. Inequities in access to quality healthcare before, during and after pregnancy, as well as provider bias during labor and delivery, contribute to the dismal outcomes. And, the “weathering” effect that exposure to discrimination has on Black people’s bodies over a lifetime, which can break down a mother’s body prematurely, is also linked to the high death rates.



Maternal disparities have little to do with race, and more to do with Black women’s experience of racism. There is nothing inherently wrong with Black women.
Inas-Khalidah Mahdi, the National Birth Equity Collaborative

That, combined with COVID’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans, drove the spike, experts say. “We cannot separate maternal mortality and maternal morbidity from the inequitable systems that they arise from,” said Inas-Khalidah Mahdi, the vice president of equity-centered capacity building at the National Birth Equity Collaborative. For decades, she said, medical professionals have wrongfully blamed Black women’s behavior and genetics for their poor outcomes, but evidence shows “maternal disparities have little to do with race, and more to do with Black women’s experience of racism.” She added, “There is nothing inherently wrong with Black women.”

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https://msmagazine.com/2023/03/20/black-maternal-mortality-increase-cdc/