Having a baby should be one of the most joyful times in a person’s life.
But records show that Black women, and women of color, are much more likely to die due to childbirth-related complications than white women, or to suffer from medical complications.
In an effort to combat maternal morbidity, the Massachusetts legislature recently passed a bill creating a maternal health commission, which received Gov. Charlie Baker’s approval in mid-January. The new commission is tasked with finding ways to eliminate or reduce racial disparities when it comes to maternal health.
“Even with the best institutions in the world right here in the Commonwealth, maternal mortality is still a public health crisis that impacts all women, but particularly Black women who die at twice the rate of white women in Massachusetts,” state Sen. Liz Miranda, who represents parts of Dorchester and Roxbury, said in a press release from Senate President Karen Spilka when the bill cleared the legislature.
During Black Maternal Health Week, the news that Illinois became the first state to extend Medicaid coverage from the former standard of 60 days postpartum to now 12 months postpartum marks a major victory for women of childbearing age, especially women of color. In Illinois alone, Black women are six times more likely to die of pregnancy-related conditions when compared .
Saving our mothers requires taking more than baby steps
During Black Maternal Health Week, the news that Illinois became the first state to extend Medicaid coverage from the former standard of 60 days postpartum to now 12 months postpartum marks a major victory for women of childbearing age, especially women of color. In Illinois alone, Black women are six times more likely to die of pregnancy-related conditions when compared to their white counterparts. This extended period of coverage is critical for preventing and treating the myriad of conditions that may not manifest themselves early on during any phase of the childbearing experience. While pregnancy-related deaths could occur anytime during a pregnancy, the majority of pregnancy-related life-threatening conditions and deaths occur one week up until one year post-delivery. Thus, this lifesaving legislation supports early identification, intervention, and access to care in the event a mother experiences precursors of
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