A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health has shed light on the widening racial gaps in pregnancy-associated deaths from non-obstetric causes in the United States, revealing a troubling trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, led by Associate Professor Claire E. Margerison, found that pregnancy-associated deaths from non-obstetric causes, such as drug-related deaths and homicides, have disproportionately increased among minoritized racial and ethnic groups during the pandemic.
This trend underscores the existing barriers to quality healthcare faced by these communities, particularly pregnant women and new mothers. Researchers analyzed nationwide birth and death records from 2018 to 2021 and discovered that pregnancy-associated death rates from all causes except suicide rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study revealed that pregnancy-associated deaths from non-obstetric causes increased disproportionately for Hispanic, Black, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Asian individuals in 2021.
Dr. Margerison highlighted the impact of the pandemic on existing inequities, noting that factors such as lack of access to preventive care, intimate partner violence, psychosocial stress, unemployment, and financial distress increased during the pandemic, further exacerbating disparities in pregnancy-associated deaths. The study’s findings underscore the urgent need for interventions that address substance use, mental healt.
