Preventing black maternal mortality: A challenge for the 90's

Abstract

The authors studied maternal mortality in Chicago and Detroit from 1979 through 1984. The death rates for black women were more than four times the national rate for white women. Many of the conditions causing death were preventable. Since the general condition of the mother prior to pregnancy is a major influence on pregnancy outcome, accessible and high-quality prenatal care is a necessary but not sufficient preventive measure. If black maternal mortality is to be prevented, attention must be directed to the protection and promotion of black women's physical, mental and social well-being, and not just to their reproductive health.

A Perspective on Health Inequities and the Need for Universal Healthcare

“…The consequences of two separate worlds living side by side within the confines of a single city, one side easily accessing healthcare while the other not, was evident in the city's health statistics: The maternal mortality rate of 31.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for African American women in Chicago was five times higher than the national rate for Caucasian women in the 1980's, which was only 6.1. (8). The infant mortality rate in 2004 was more than twice as high for African American babies in Chicago, at 14.8, compared to Caucasian babies (9).…”

Black maternal mortality in the media: How journalists cover a deadly racial disparity

“…However, when looking at Black mothers, studies show that they are three to four times more likely to die of childbirth-related deaths than White women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). In 1988, medical researchers termed this the “challenge for the 90s,” yet, the racial maternal mortality gap still exists over 30 years later, even though 63% of these deaths are described as preventable (Creanga, 2018; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019; Siefert and Martin, 1988).…”

“…Most prior research on this topic explores how the data is captured, how the U.S. compares to other countries, and the underlying factors that cause the disparity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019; Cole, 2018; Creanga, 2018; Fang et al, 2000; Siefert and Martin, 1988; Villarosa, 2018; Wynn, 2019). Few studies have examined how the media has covered the topic (Cole, 2018), and no known studies to date have considered journalists and their role in presenting this issue to the public.…”