Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Focus on Health Disparities

Maternal mortality is an important health problem with widely accepted international support for risk reduction. In contrast to other developed countries, maternal mortality rates in the United States have increased in recent years, resulting in a mounting public health crisis. Significant racial disparities in maternal mortality rates exist, particularly among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women. Data demonstrate that social determinants of health - such as limited education, low income, rural residence and other environmental factors - place women at higher risk of suffering severe morbidity or mortality in the peripartum period. These determinants, compounded by structural racism, act as upstream drivers of maternal mortality. Greater access to care and improved quality of care are critical to reducing disparities. Policy initiatives to expand Medicaid, improve surveillance and mortality review committees, and identify barriers to quality care are necessary to achieve maternal health equity.

Duke Scholars

Author Anne Maria Berry Family Medicine and Community Health, Family Medicine