The United States’s maternal mortality rate is one of the highest among developed countries. Maternal mortality is defined as a pregnancy-related death of a mother that occurs anytime during the pregnancy and a month and a half after birth. There are many reasons why maternal mortality is so high in the United States, two of which are access to care and racial disparities. In some states, such as Alabama and Kentucky, women have a 30% chance of dying while in childbirth, compared to Pennsylvania and Ohio, where that likelihood reduces to 15%.
The maternal mortality rate is especially high for black women, who on average are more than three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Higher-educated women are still five times more likely to die during or after pregnancy than their white counterparts. In order to reduce this rate, doctors need to take black women’s concerns during pregnancy seriously, as many women have reported feeling disrespected during their pregnancy due to their race.
Reducing the underlying causes of maternal mortality such as racial disparities, and providing women with access to multiple OBs and hospitals across all states can help save many women’s lives in the United States.
Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Primer | Commonwealth Fund
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