Regardless of income, education or geographical location Black women have historically had the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. Maternal Mortality is defined as the number of registered maternal deaths due to birth or pregnancy related complications per 100,000 live births. This includes deaths during pregnancy, at birth or within 42 days of birth.
In 2018, nearly 700 women or 17 per 100,000 live births, died at childbirth in the United States. When race is factored in, this number is more than doubled (37 per 100,000 live births) for Black women. Texas is among the top 10 states with the highest maternal mortality rate at 34.5 per 100,000 live births. Again, when race is factored in, the maternal mortality rate for Black women is 27.8 per 100,000, compared to 13.6 for white women and 11.5 for Hispanic/Latinx women, living in Texas. Not only are Black mothers dying at an alarming rate, their Black infants are dying too. In the United States, Black infants are twice as likely to die during child birth.
In this conversation, we will discuss key factors that put Black mothers and their infants at greater of survival, such as institutional racism, sexism, inequities in health systems, barriers to resources and a lack of continued support after birth. More importantly, we will hear from Black mothers and those who support Black mothers on how we, in Greater Austin, can strategize to overcome these barriers.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021 / 10:00 – 11:00 am
Free / Open to Public / Virtual Delivery
Dr. Crystal Berry-Roberts
Ob/Gyn Physician, Austin Regional Clinic
Rocky Lane,
Organizer, Austin Black Pride
Darline Turner,
Owner/Founder, Mamas on Bedrest & Beyond
Nakeenya Wilson,
Former Director, Black Mamas ATX / Vice-President at Huston-Tillotson University
Data Sources:
Improving Postpartum Access & Outcomes for Travis County’s Black Mothers. Black Mamas ATX. 2019.
First Data Released on Maternal Mortality in Over a Decade. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020.
The U.S. finally has better maternal mortality data. Black mothers still fare the worst. NBC News. 2020.
Racial disparities in maternal mortality are exacerbated by COVID-19. American Bar Association Journal. 2020.
Black Maternal and Infant Health: Historical Legacies of Slavery. American Journal of Public Health 109. 2019.
America has an infant mortality crisis. Meet the black doulas trying to change that. The Guardian. 2019.
Maternal Mortality Rate by State 2020. Word Population Review. 2020.
States with the highest maternal mortality rates. US News. 2019.
Maternal Health Problems in Central Texas Underscore Statewide Crisis. Texas Medical Association. 2019.
US Trends & Social Inequalities in Maternal Mortality, International Journal of Maternal and Child Health. 2021.
