Deaths of women who died in childbirth or during childbirth spiked in 2021, particularly among Black women, Forbes reports. The numbers were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With a total of 1,205 dying, it means that deaths jumped nearly 40%; 861 women died of maternal causes in 2021 and 754 did in 2019. Among Black women, deaths were 2.6 times that of white women.
While no specific cause was cited, according to Forbes, “higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity, a larger proportion of mothers giving birth via cesarean section, a lack of universal healthcare, shortages of maternity care providers and a lack of paid maternity leave are among the factors that have been suggested as contributing towards the increase.”
SOURCE:
Forbes March 16, 2023