The maternal death rate in the US rose in 2021, with women of African descent at the highest risk. Author: Illustration by Martha Pucci
WASHINGTON, March 16th. — The maternal death rate in the United States rose in 2021, and women of African descent are the highest-risk group, according to a report released Thursday by the National Vital Statistics System.
The said index increased from 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 to 32.9 in 2021, detailed the analysis and indicated how non-Hispanic African Americans died during and immediately after pregnancy at a rate 2.6 times that of non-Hispanic whites. .
“Maternal mortality rates among black women certainly reflect systemic racism and discrimination in healthcare,” Dr. Joanne Stone, professor and president of the System of OB/GYN/Sciences, Reproductive Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine, told ABC News.
The expert pointed out that pregnant women of African descent are at greater risk of complications such as pre-eclampsia and bleeding, as well as chronic conditions.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, they often do not receive proper medical care, so pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure are not properly treated, which can lead to death, reports PL.
As for maternal death data in the United States, Donna Hoyert, the report’s author, told ABC News the numbers represent a continuation of what was seen between 2019 and 2020.
However, he noted that higher growth was recorded compared to previous years and due to the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Juventud Rebelde
