After years of calls for data, study confirms Black Canadians face higher risk of maternal complications
The most comprehensive study yet of maternal health in Canada has found that Black Canadians face a much higher risk of serious complications during pregnancy, labour, delivery and postpartum than white people — underlining the urgent need for better data tracking and tools to eliminate systemic anti-Black racism in our health-care system, researchers and advocates say.
Research in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reveals that Black women in Canada face a significantly higher risk of severe complications during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period compared to their white counterparts. The study, which analyzed data from nearly 1.5 million births from 2012 to 2023, found that the rate of severe maternal morbidity was 47.8 per 1,000 births for Black women, compared to 27.7 per 1,000 for white women.
After adjusting for differences in sociodemographic and clinical factors, Black women had a 66% increased risk of experiencing severe complications. The disparities were consistent across all types of severe maternal morbidity, including preeclampsia, hemorrhage, sepsis, heart conditions, uterine rupture, and kidney failure. Importantly, income level and immigration status did not explain the disparity.
Dr. Giulia Muraca, a perinatal epidemiologist at McMaster University, noted that being Black is not a cause of severe pregnancy complications. Instead, the findings point to the need for further investigation into social, structural, and health care factors that contribute to inequities in maternal health. Dr. Cynthia Maxwell, co-lead of the Black Reproductive Health Working Group, emphasized that race is a social construct and that anti-Black racism plays a role in these inequities.
The study's authors recommend responsible collection and use of race information in health data, public reporting of race-disaggregated data, accountability for tracking progress, antiracism training, and partnerships with Black communities to co-design programs that ensure access to high-quality care throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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