A new study from the University of Houston reveals alarming racial disparities in maternal health outcomes in Texas. According to research by Annamaria Milazzo, Black women in the state experience severe pregnancy complications at nearly twice the rate of white women.
The analysis of Texas hospital discharge data from 2016 to 2022, covering almost 2.5 million births, showed that for every 10,000 hospitalizations in 2022, about 125 Black women faced severe complications compared to 60 white women. This gap has persisted and even widened slightly since 2016.
Milazzo, a research assistant professor at UH’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality, emphasized the critical need to focus on women’s health before conception and birth. The study found that 78% of the racial disparity in complications stems from preexisting health conditions.
The overall rate of severe pregnancy complications, including hemorrhaging, eclampsia, sepsis, and organ failure, increased by 18% during the study period. Experts attribute this partly to Texas being a “maternity care desert” with limited access to healthcare for many women.
The research also suggests that up to 20% of the disparity may be due to factors like bias or differences in access to high-quality care. Notably, even when Black and white women give birth at the same hospital with the same physician, significant gaps in outcomes persist.
To address these disparities, Milazzo recommends expanding Medicaid coverage for low-income women, noting that one in four women of reproductive age in Texas lacks health insurance. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women in Texas.
