While maternal mortality rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels for many groups, deaths among Black mothers remain significantly elevated.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Pandemic Mortality Increase: Pregnancy-related deaths in the United States (US) rose by more than 60% during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing from approximately 20 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019 to 33 in 2021.
- Persistent Racial Disparities: Although death rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels for most groups, they remain significantly higher for non-Hispanic Black and American Indian or Alaska Native mothers.
- Postpartum Risk Factors: Most of the pandemic-era increase was linked to COVID-19, and while early pregnancy deaths have stabilized, later postpartum deaths remain a concern for older birthing people and Black women.
Pregnancy-related deaths in the US increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the greatest impact seen among Black women, according to Michigan Medicine research published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
While mortality rates have since returned to pre-pandemic levels for most groups, they remain significantly higher for Black mothers. Between 2018 and 2024, the US reported 8,298 pregnancy-related deaths.
“We saw a dramatic increase in pregnancy-related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the recovery has not been equal across all groups,” said Lindsay Admon, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School and obstetrician-gynecologist at U-M Health Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, in a news release. “We need to better understand what’s driving these differences so we can develop solutions that reduce maternal deaths and improve outcomes for everyone.”
Maternal deaths, defined as those occurring during pregnancy or within 42 days after, rose more than 60% during the pandemic. Rates climbed from about 20 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019 to 33 in 2021.
Researchers found that most of the pandemic increase was linked to COVID-19-associated deaths. Early pregnancy deaths rose by 7.5 per 100,000 live births, and later pregnancy deaths increased by 3.7 per 100,000. By the 2023-2024 period, early pregnancy deaths returned to pre-pandemic levels, but later postpartum deaths remained elevated.
Recovery varied significantly across demographics. The largest increases were observed among non-Hispanic Black and American Indian or Alaska Native mothers, as well as birthing people between the ages of 40 and 49. Both early and late pregnancy-related death rates remained notably higher for non-Hispanic Black mothers.
“Our findings show that COVID-19–related deaths drove much of the increase during the pandemic,” said Admon, in a news release. “They also highlight persistent racial disparities in maternal deaths. While progress has been made, more work is needed, especially to reduce later postpartum deaths and improve outcomes for Black mothers.”
The study also highlights the necessity of evaluating policies that may influence maternal healthcare, such as pandemic-era measures like extended Medicaid coverage under federal relief programs.
“There is an urgent need to understand how both pandemic and post-pandemic policies have affected maternal health,” said Admon, in a news release. “This work can help guide public health and policy efforts to reduce pregnancy-related deaths and improve health equity for mothers, children, and families.”
