The tragic death of Olympic athlete Tori Bowie, a 32-year-old pregnant black woman, is an appalling representation of the inequities in our healthcare system.
The alarming reality is that the United States leads ALL industrialized nations in the number of maternal deaths. Furthermore, this rate has SKYROCKETED in recent years, and is now estimated to be more than 10x the mortality rate of other developed countries.
Here are the facts;
- The US leads ALL economically developed countries in the number of maternal deaths.
- US maternal death rates continue to rise, especially among black women.
- Black women have a 3x higher death rate than white women, primarily due to inadequate access to proper medical care.
U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate Signals a Serious Breakdown in Our Healthcare System
The heartbreaking reality is that despite the U.S having an advanced healthcare system, the racial disparity in maternal mortality continues to rise. This is unfathomable, yet a horrific reality.
The CDC reports that in 2021, the maternal mortality rate for black women was 69.9 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The mortality rate for white women, however, was 26.6 for every 100,000 births… a whopping 62% lower! Clearly, something is amiss and black American women are paying the ultimate price.
I wish I could say that in my 40+ years of practice, I have never experienced anything like it, but sadly that is not the case. We live in a world that requires us to hold individuals accountable for their actions and duty of care. We must demand that equal and adequate care is provided to all.
Maternal Mortality and Medical Malpractice
The increase in maternal mortality rates for black women (and white women) is a result of inadequate access to care and information, and a systemic failure of our healthcare system.
If a pregnant black woman receives adequate medical care throughout her pregnancy, why is it three times more likely she will die compared to a white woman?
Doctors and medical staff are failing to recognize fundamental differences in pregnancies, and subsequently neglect to warn and diagnose common conditions. Pregnancy is beautiful, but a woman’s body undergoes a metamorphosis and is stressed for 40 weeks. During this time medical conditions arise that if left untreated, can result in serious illness and death. Furthermore, the data unmistakably illustrates that black women are just not receiving the same prenatal care as white women.
Two conditions that can be missed or ignored in prenatal care are;
Pre-Eclampsia, which typically presents with high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling of extremities. In some cases, patients may present with a seizure.
Eclampsia, is a progression of pre-eclampsia, which can result in kidney failure, placental abruption, liver rupture and more.
When properly monitored throughout a pregnancy, the conditions noted above are often manageable and result in a healthy delivery for mom and baby. If left untreated, the heartbreaking fact is both mom and baby are at extreme risk.
If you or someone you love suffered an unimaginable loss as a result of improper or inadequate prenatal or postnatal medical care, call me immediately, and I’ll Make Them Pay!®. I cannot change the past, but I can effect change and hold responsible parties accountable!
