Healthcare, Vol. 11, Pages 438: Listen to the Whispers before They Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States
Healthcare doi: 10.3390/healthcare11030438
Authors: Anuli Njoku Marian Evans Lillian Nimo-Sefah Jonell Bailey
Black women in the United States (U.S.) disproportionately experience adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal mortality, compared to women of other racial and ethnic groups. Historical legacies of institutionalized racism and bias in medicine compound this problem. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color may further worsen existing racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. This paper discusses structural and social determinants of racial disparities with a focus on the Black maternal mortality crisis in the United States. We explore how structural racism contributes to a greater risk of adverse obstetric outcomes among Black women in the U.S. We also propose public health, healthcare systems, and community-engaged approaches to decrease racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality.