Moving Maternal Health Forward: SWHR’s Women’s Health Equity Initiative

As part of #WomensHealthWeek, SWHR is spotlighting different parts of its Women’s Health Equity Initiative. Women face poor health outcomes due to maternal health disparities in the United States.?

The United States has the highest rate of maternal death among developed nations. Research shows significant differences in pregnancy related risks and complications among different racial and ethnic groups. African American and Native American women have higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths compared to non-Hispanic white women.?

Maternal mortality ratios vary significantly by socioeconomic status and geography as well. More than 2.2 million women of childbearing age across the United States live in maternity care ‘deserts,’ across both rural and urban areas, which has a direct effect on the health of mothers and babies. Further, due to gaps in paid maternity leave policy, women may be forced to return to work immediately postpartum. One in four women returns to work within two weeks of giving birth, which has serious implications on health.?

Approximately one-third of annual maternal deaths occur during pregnancy, over half (56%) occur during labor or within the first week postpartum, and 13% occur between six weeks to one year after delivery. Access to paid maternity leave has also been proven to improve outcomes for mother and infant, reducing risk of subsequent hospitalization and preterm birth. High quality maternal care requires that women have access to health care well beyond the trimesters of pregnancy.?

Ebony Marcelle is a midwife working to address and reverse health disparities for mothers across the country. Watch Ebony's story here.?

Learn more about the maternal health disparities across the United States with the maternity fact sheet.?

SWHR’s Women’s Health Equity Initiative highlights statistics on women’s health in the United States and aims to engage communities on solutions to improve health equity across maternal health outcomes, among other life stages. To learn more and support the Women’s Health Equity Initiative, read more on the SWHR blog?and visit www.swhr.org/healthequity #SWHRHealthEquity?