Maternal Mortality Rates Spiked 40% During Pandemic; Racial Disparities Still Stark

Maternal mortality rates continued to increase during the pandemic, and racial disparities in those deaths remain vast, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, despite sustained efforts from the Biden administration to improve equitable access to maternal health care. Mortality rates for pregnant and postpartum people increased by 40% from 2020 to 2021, according to NCHS’ March 16 findings, but the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 69.9...