A new study suggests the U.S. maternal mortality rate is significantly lower than previously reported, but stark racial disparities remain a critical concern.
Research published Wednesday in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology estimates the national maternal mortality rate at 10.4 deaths per 100,000 births, far below the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent figure of 32.9.
Lead author Dr. K.S. Joseph said the study’s methods excluded deaths solely identified by a pregnancy checkbox on death certificates, which researchers believe led to overestimation.
Despite the lower overall rate, the study found Black pregnant patients are still three times more likely to die than white patients.
“We have to prevent these deaths,” Joseph said. “Even if we say that the rate is 10 per 100,000 and not 30 per 100,000, it does not mean that we have to stop trying.”
Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, who leads Louisiana’s maternal mortality review committee, warned against dismissing the issue’s urgency.
“Anybody that was doubting is going to be like, ‘I knew it wasn’t that bad of a problem,'” she said. “This study should instead be a call to action.”
Dr. Louise King, an OB-GYN at Harvard Medical School, emphasized the human toll of persistent racial gaps in maternal health.
“The disproportionate effect on Black patients is just plain scary,” King said.
Experts stress that most maternal deaths are preventable and that continued focus on improving maternal health outcomes remains crucial.
