Study: Racial disparities in maternal mortality may exceed estimates

Racial and ethnic disparities in U.S. maternal mortality may be larger than previously reported, according to a study published last week in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). By re-examining information on death certificates from 2016 and 2017, researchers found the maternal mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black women was 3.5 times higher than among non-Hispanic white women. Previously, standard analyses had indicated a 2.5-times-higher death rate for Black women. The researchers found similar maternal mortality rates for Hispanic and white women, in contrast to previous analyses, which found lower mortality for Hispanic women. The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (AJPH article, 8/12/21)