ATLANTA, Georgia — A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals a significant decrease in maternal deaths in 2022 compared to the previous year, following a troubling rise during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this improvement, the report highlights that Black women continue to experience higher rates of maternal mortality than other demographic groups in the United States.
According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the maternal mortality rate dropped from 32.9 per 100,000 live births in 2021 to 22.3 per 100,000 in 2022. Dr. Donna Hoyert, a statistician at NCHS and the report’s author, noted that the decrease was observed across the board.
In 2022, a total of 817 women died from maternal causes, a decline from 1,205 in 2021. This decrease is attributed to possible declines in Covid-19 infections, as mentioned by Hoyert, although the report did not delve into specific reasons for the reduction.
Dr. Angela Bianco, a maternal-fetal medicine expert, acknowledged the impact of the Covid pandemic on maternal and perinatal mortality rates. She emphasized the complexity of attributing these changes solely to Covid infections, underscoring the broader social, economic, and healthcare factors at play.
Despite the positive trend in maternal mortality rates, racial disparities persist, with Black women enduring a significantly higher risk compared to White, Hispanic, and Asian women. Access to quality maternal health care emerges as a critical factor in addressing and reducing these disparities, as mentioned by Dr. Yolanda Lawson, president of the National Medical Association.
The findings underscore the need for continued efforts to enhance maternal health care access and quality, with a focus on addressing underlying social determinants of health that disproportionately impact women of color. While progress has been made, sustained initiatives and policies are essential to drive further improvements in maternal health outcomes nationwide.
Moving forward, experts stress the importance of deploying interventions and policies that prioritize women’s health, closely monitoring maternal mortality trends beyond the Covid-19 pandemic. The recent decline in maternal deaths signals progress, but concerted action is necessary to ensure that the positive trend persists and that disparities in maternal health outcomes are effectively addressed.