Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is held annually on April 11-17 during National Minority Health Awareness Month to raise awareness about health disparities impacting racial and ethnic minorities and encourage action toward dismantling systems of oppression.

Researchers call the United States the most-dangerous developed country in which to give birth. About 700 women die each year in the U.S. as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications. One in three maternal deaths is preventable. A National Institute of Health-funded study found that Black women are three times more likely to die than White women from a pregnancy-related cause. Maternal death disparities were concentrated in postpartum cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) and preeclampsia and eclampsia. The mortality rate for Black women was five times higher than White women in postpartum cardiomyopathy and preeclampsia and eclampsia. College-educated Black women have over five times higher pregnancy-related mortality than white women of similar education

Since 2018, over 21,000 infants have died each year in their first year of life. Black infants are two to three times more likely to die than White infants in their first year of life. The leading causes of infant mortality are birth defects, preterm birth, injuries, sudden infant death syndrome, and pregnancy complications. The amount of infant deaths is much higher if miscarriages are factored in. For known pregnancies, 11-16% of pregnancies end in a spontaneous loss of the pregnancy before the 20th week. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus is not developing as anticipated.

With such high numbers of miscarriages, infant deaths, and maternal deaths one might assume that these issues are well known among women. However, many women report an unawareness of the issues and the available resources for grieving families.

Losing a baby or spouse due to pregnancy or delivery complications is tragic. For Black families, the pain of losing a loved one can be exacerbated by systemic racism, prejudices, implicit bias, microaggressions, and other forms of oppression.

EDITORS NOTE: Given the current attack on women’s reproductive rights, authorities have said more deaths of both Black and White women will occur. What an unconscionable, cruel state of affairs.