About

What We Know

Over the last 10 years, maternal and infant mortality has increased in the United States.
  • African American infants are dying at 2x the rate of other children
  • African American women are 4x as likely to die during pregnancy
  • At the root of the problem — the racial bias and discrimination African American women face

What is happening?

Despite technological advancements, pregnancy-related deaths in the United States have more than doubled in the last 30 years. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. African American families are disproportionately impacted. To address this, we need to come together to:

  • Ensure Black women receive the same standards of care as everyone else to prevent death.
  • Shift the perspectives of medical professionals and other service professionals to decrease the level of stress for women that leads to higher rates of infant and maternal death.
  • Increased awareness and understanding of bias and discrimination can help end health inequities in Sacramento and the United States.
See The Research

This Is A Systemic Issue

African Americans experience structural racism in many ways such as housing, education, economically, and through policies. During pregnancy and childbirth, Black women face additional barriers that cause chronic stress including, but not limited to:

  • Lower quality maternity care
  • Unfair treatment
  • Not being listened to when expressing fears or concerns
  • Not being included in making maternal medical decisions
  • Lack of communication received from care providers
  • The pressure to have medical interventions such as inductions and cesareans
The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world.