The Dark Side to Delivery: Illuminating the US Black Maternal Health Crisis

Abstract

In the United States, pregnant and postpartum women are dying at the highest rate among developed countries. This crisis disproportionately impacts Black women, who are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). A plethora of factors contribute to this disparity. Black women are more likely to experience lower quality healthcare or be unnecessarily recommended riskier surgeries such as cesarean sections even in low-risk births. Additionally, they have lower access to affordable healthcare plans that administer maternal care (Martin et al., 2019). The CDC reports that 60 percent of maternal deaths are preventable, highlighting the urgent need to improve maternal health quality and accessibility in the United States. This paper argues that poor Black maternal health and Black maternal mortality constitute a public health crisis in the United States. While existing research highlights socioeconomic barriers as key contributors to health inequities, this paper identifies implicit bias as the underlying driver of these disparities. Drawing on the lived experiences of Black women and systemic racial bias in healthcare, it provides a nuanced understanding of Black maternal mortality. During the recent Biden-Harris administration initiatives demonstrating an interest in Black maternal health, they advocate for holistic solutions, including eliminating racial biases, ensuring equitable and patient-centered care, and improving maternal healthcare quality.