Why Aren’t We Using Family Medicine to Help Confront the Maternal Mortality Crisis in the United States?
Abstract
( Birth . 2025;52:169–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12887) The maternal mortality crisis in the United States continues to worsen, with rates now more than ten times higher than those in other high-income countries. In 2021, the CDC reported 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, a figure that is especially alarming for black women, whose rate was nearly 70 per 100,000. Educational attainment, which is usually protective in health, fails to shield black women, who face disproportionately high risks compared with white or Hispanic women with similar or even lower levels of education. These disparities indicate that existing approaches are insufficient.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Maternal and fetal healthcare
Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
Global Maternal and Child Health
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Obstetric Anesthesia Digest
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3–5
- Publication date
- 1 March 2026
- Language
- EN