To Prevent Women from Dying in Childbirth, First Stop Blaming Them

Although the number of women who die in childbirth globally has fallen in recent decades, the rates in the U.S. have gone up. Since 1987 maternal mortality has doubled in the U.S. Now approximately 800 maternal deaths occur every year. One of the most striking takeaways from examining the data is racial disparity: Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions. This Scientific American article looks at the alarming statistics and some of the reasons why.