Racial Disparities in US Maternal and Infant Health

Persistent inequities continue to impact maternal and infant health outcomes across racial and ethnic groups in America, with systemic barriers creating life-threatening disparities.

1. Rac•a« D•ìáaä•ø•pì •µ US
Maøpäµa« aµj Iµˆaµø Hpa«ø
Persistent inequities continue to impact maternal and infant health outcomes
across racial and ethnic groups in America, with systemic barriers creating
life-threatening disparities.

2. The Mortality Crisis
900
Päp‰µaµcĞ-
Rp«aøpj Dpaøì
Women died in America
in 2020 due to
pregnancy-related
causes occurring within
a year of pregnancy.
3ĝ
H•‰pä R•ì¨
Black and AIAN women
face pregnancy-related
mortality rates three
times higher than White
women.
50%
P¾ìøáaäøĀ³
Dpaøì
Nearly half of
pregnancy-related
deaths occurred in the
year following delivery.
For AIAN women, 63.4 deaths per 100,000 live births occurred, while Black
women experienced 55.9 deaths per 100,000. Hispanic women had 22.6
deaths per 100,000, compared to 18.1 for White women and 14.2 for Asian
women.

3. B•äø R•ì¨ Facø¾äì aµj
C¾³á«•caø•¾µì
H•‰-R•ì¨ B•äøì
Black, AIAN, and NHPI women
experience higher rates of low
birthweight and preterm births.
Teen birth rates are also elevated
among these demographics,
increasing complication risks.
Spėpäp Maøpäµa« M¾äb•j•øĞ
Black women face particularly high
risks for preeclampsia and severe
maternal morbidity, involving kidney
damage, organ failure, high blood
pressure, and sudden weight gain.

4. Mental Health Disparities
20%
Women of Color
Black, Asian or Pacific Islander, and AIAN women report perinatal
depression symptoms.
10%
White Women
Report perinatal depression symptoms, showing significant
disparity.
Postpartum depression incidents jumped from 9.4% in 2010 to 19.3% in 2021, led by Black and Asian and Pacific Islander women.
High perinatal depression levels correlate with diabetes and hypertension development.

5. Root Causes of Disparities
Rac•ì³ aµj D•ìc䕳•µaø•¾µ
Systemic racism remains at the forefront of maternal health
disparities, persisting even among women with similar
education and income levels.
IµìĀäaµcp Gaáì
Lack of health insurance coverage creates major barriers to
accessing quality maternal care.
Pä¾ė•jpä S¾äøa‰pì
Obstetric unit closures in rural areas, particularly in the South,
disproportionately impact Black communities.
CĀ«øĀäa« Baää•päì
Obstacles in securing culturally and linguistically appropriate
care compound access challenges.

6. Fpjpäa« Rpìá¾µìp aµj FĀøĀäp
Uµcpäøa•µøĞ
01
B«Āpá䕵ø LaĀµc (2022)
Biden-Harris Administration's
Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal
Health Crisis drove federal
investments in maternal health.
02
Pä¾ė•jpä Täa•µ•µ‰
$27.5 million program trained over
2,000 providers in specialized
maternity care, from OB/GYNs to
nurses.
03
Rpìpaäc Iµėpìø³pµø
March 2024 Executive Order advanced women's health innovation, funding
WIC research and maternal mortality studies.
Critical Challenge: Many programs were dependent on one
administration's efforts and are now under threat or have ended,
jeopardizing progress made in addressing these life-threatening
disparities.