- A new analysis found that maternal mortality rates rose substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with deaths disproportionately impacting Hispanic and Black women. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, maternal mortality rates increased 18.4 percent in the U.S. between 2019 and Q1 of 2020 and 33.3 percent after March 2020. Maternal mortality increased the most in Hispanic women (78.0 percent) and Black women (40.2 percent), compared with white women (17.2 percent). The authors noted that change in maternal deaths during the pandemic may involve conditions directly related to COVID-19, such as respiratory or viral infection, or conditions exacerbated by COVID-19 or other health care disruptions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. (Study here)
June 30, 2022
Inequities and SDOH