Maternal Deaths Spiked In 2021—Particularly Among Black Women—As U.S. Maintains Deadly Reputation For Pregnancy And Childbirth

Topline

The number of Americans dying due to pregnancy or childbirth soared in 2021, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, a troubling finding following decades of steady increases that disproportionately affect Black mothers and cements the country’s reputation as a singularly dangerous place for new mothers compared to other wealthy nations.

Key Facts

What We Don’t Know

The report does not break down the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on maternal deaths. This is likely to be significant, as research consistently showed infection significantly raises the risk of severe complications during pregnancy and childbirth. A Covid infection also increases the odds of giving birth prematurely, which is also riskier. Given the disproportionate impact Covid had on communities of color in the U.S.—coronavirus death rates were especially high among Black women—this could help explain some of the disparities in maternal deaths.

Key Background

Maternal mortality has steadily risen in the U.S. for decades, bucking a longstanding downturn that has been—and largely continues to be—observed in most other wealthy countries since the advent of better surgical techniques, discovery of antibiotics, rising living standards and general improvements to medicine. Many of these deaths are preventable. Higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity, a larger proportion of mothers giving birth via cesarean section, a lack of universal healthcare, shortages of maternity care providers and a lack of paid maternity leave are among the factors that have been suggested as contributing towards the increase. Experts have warned recent rollbacks of abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade could push maternal death rates even higher. Consistently, maternal death rates are higher among Black women, who already face systemic racism, lower life expectancy, have higher death rates than most Americans and have disproportionately high levels of conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Contra

The U.S. lags far behind other wealthy nations when it comes to maternal health, according to research from the Commonwealth Fund, which was compiled using OECD data. The U.S. maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the CDC, many times higher than recent rates reported in other countries. The Netherlands reported just 1.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. Australia, Japan, Germany and Norway all reported under 4 deaths per 100,000 live births, with the U.K., Sweden, Switzerland, France and Canada reporting rates under 8.5.

Further Reading

Maternal mortality: An American crisis (CBS)

Covid-19 Raises Risk Of Pregnancy Complications—Including Death Around Birth, Preterm Delivery And Postpartum Hemorrhage—Study Finds (Forbes)

Maternal Death Rates Soared During Pandemic—Especially Among Black And Hispanic Women, Study Finds (Forbes)

Pregnant Women With Covid-19 Are Eight Times More Likely To Die Than Uninfected Counterparts (Forbes)