In 2021, the U.S. saw a 40% spike in pregnancy-related deaths. Those deaths — 1,205 — weren’t spread uniformly across the population.
“When it comes to maternal death ratios, some women are at more risk than others. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women,” State Rep. Robyn A. Porter said at a ceremony Tuesday marking Black Maternal Health Week at the state Capitol.
In Connecticut, Porter said that women residing in cities, such as New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford, are also much more likely to die.
“For instance, in the city where I live and represent, in New Haven, Black women are seven times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related complications and four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women,” she said.
The White House, which issued a proclamation Monday for Black Maternal Health Week, first recognized the designation in 2021 thanks to the advocacy work of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
“Black Maternal Health Week is a reminder that so many families experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be one of the most joyous times of their lives. It is an urgent call for action,” the White House proclamation begins. “Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation.”
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States had one of the worst rates of maternal mortality in the country’s history in 2021.
A previous CDC study found that more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
“The U.S. could avoid overall about 40% of the maternal deaths if all women regardless of age, race, and zip code had access to quality health care,” she added.
According to the CDC, the rate of infant mortality among Black babies in the United States was 10.6 per 1,000 live births in 2020.
State Rep. Treneé McGee said it is essential to “secure a stronger holistic future for birthing moms and their babies to not only survive, but to live.”
First, McGee called for those in the health care industry to believe Black women.
“Oftentimes we’re deemed to be much stronger than we actually are, but we’re human beings. And so we go into these spaces where we not only make demands, but we become vulnerable with our health care professionals and providers. And oftentimes, we go overlooked and we’re not believed,” she said.
“Every single one of us has a story [about] when we were not believed in the medical industry. Every single one of us knows someone who survived childbirth, barely making it. They came in one way and left the other. And so when we talk about how essential it is to secure a better future, it’s also addressing the lack of honesty within the medical industry,” she said.
Porter and McGee support Senate Bill 986, called “An Act Protecting Maternal Health” to improve maternal care.
The bill would establish an Infant Mortality Relief Program within the Department of Public Health to review medical records and other data on deaths of infants up to one year of age. A related committee would be charged with using the data to reduce health care disparities, identify associated factors and make recommendations to reduce the deaths. It would also create certification programs for doulas and freestanding birthing centers.
The bill would also create a midwifery working group to study and make recommendations on advancing choices for community birth care and the role of community midwives in addressing maternal and infant health disparities.
And it would require the Office of Early Childhood to develop and implement a statewide universal nurse home-visiting services program for all families with newborns in Connecticut.
State Sen. Saud Anwar, a supporter of the bill, said S.B. 986 is a priority for Gov. Ned Lamont and “much needed” to address the maternal health crisis.
“Race is not a biological risk factor. Race is a social construct. When you look at what it is doing to our state, in every aspect of the health [industry], including most exclusively on maternal health, we have a problem. And that’s what I’m talking about today — implicit bias. The implicit bias is when a person does not even know that they are a part of a system and an action, which is resulting in outcomes being poor. That is implicit bias. And if I go over the implicit bias stories, you will be surprised,” he said.
Doulas 4 CT Coalition’s Director of Advocacy Cynthia Hayes said that she hopes the focus on Black maternal health extends beyond the designated week.
“We recognize that it’s not because of race that the disparities exist, it is because of structural and institutional racism. And we are trying desperately, especially our team, to promote legislation and policy change, so that we can make a difference here in our state,” she said.
Commissioner of the State’s Department of Social Services Andrea Barton Reeves said the department supports Black maternal health through Medicaid funding and matching federal funds.
“We know that Black mothers have a higher rate of dying when they bring their children into the world. That’s not an outcome that any of us wants. It’s not an outcome that is good for our state. It’s not an outcome that is good for any families,” she said.
“We don’t know who those mothers could have become, if they remained in the world. We don’t know who those children could have been, if they didn’t die with their mothers. … In my mind, there is no small number. If one mother dies, that’s one mother too many. And this is our opportunity, individually and collectively, to do something about that,” she said.
Labor of Love Podcast Host Hafeeza Turé said that birth stories are something all mothers share.
But Black women’s birth stories are often different, she said. The common theme she found was that their stories were very traumatic, despite being told through a triumphant perspective.
“I’m glad that we’re having this conversation. It’s important that we share our stories, continue to talk about this, continue to shed light, continue to lend voice [and] be an advocate. We need the fathers, we need the grandparents, we need the support of the friends that are in the space on teams are so important. And it’s not just [for] pregnancy and deliveries, but postpartum as well, to support. It absolutely takes a village not just for the child, but for the family. We are communal beings. And that is something that has to be supported,” she said.