Maryland lawmakers are expressing frustration over persistent racial inequities in maternal health outcomes, with Black mothers facing significantly higher risks than their white counterparts despite years of awareness about the problem.
From 2019 through 2023, Maryland recorded an overall maternal mortality rate of 21 per 100,000 births across all races and ethnicities. However, Black mothers experienced a mortality rate of 30 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to Maryland Department of Health data.
The disparities extend beyond mortality. Maryland has the highest rate of cesarean sections for low-risk births compared to the rest of the nation, with 30.3% of low-risk births delivered by C-section in 2023 versus a national average of 26.6%. Black Marylanders face even higher rates at 34.8%, compared to the state average.
Noelene K. Jeffers, an assistant professor with Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, explained that racism itself creates physiologic harm. “Racism is a source of chronic stress for Black women and long-term exposure to it creates a physiologic stress response from the body,” she said. “It also impacts how you are able to access care and how you’re able to experience care.”
Jeffers noted that underlying bias among providers may affect how likely they are to listen when Black patients express concerns or ensure problems are caught early. Maryland’s Deputy Director of Public Health Services Meg Sullivan acknowledged the problem, telling lawmakers, “We continue to see unacceptable disparities in maternal outcomes that are multifaceted and systemic — particularly for Black women.”
See: “Maryland lawmakers ‘disheartened’ by persistent inequities in Black maternal health outcomes” (February 13, 2026)
