Thousands of Black mothers and infants face preventable deaths each year, shaping one of the most urgent health disparities in America. Black women giving birth this year could lose 350,000 healthy life years due to disabilities from maternal health conditions. The rate at which Black women die in childbirth is two to four times higher than white women—a gap that has only widened since the pandemic, reaching 3.5 times in 2023. Meanwhile, Black infants remain more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday compared to most other groups.
The toll is not merely statistical. “These figures aren’t just numbers—they represent lives saved, communities stabilized, and an economy strengthened by investing in Black maternal well-being,” says Dr. Faith Ohuoba, OB-GYN Department Chair at Memorial Hermann Health System. According to new findings, key reforms could save over 3,100 Black mothers and 35,000 infants, inject $25 billion into the economy, and save $385 million in healthcare costs by 2040.
Critical solutions include measuring the true scale of the crisis, training providers in culturally respectful care, and addressing chronic conditions. Adjusting hospital practices and expanding access to midwives, doulas, and mental health resources could drive change. Yet, as Dr. Amanda P. Williams of March of Dimes asserts, “the gap between [Black and white] moms is widening,” demanding systemic solutions.
The roots of this crisis run deep—“it’s the entire health care system that has policies, procedures… to exacerbate racism,” observes Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha of Tufts University. Closing the gap means better data, equitable care, and enduring investment.
See: “Solving the U.S. Black Maternal Health Crisis Could Save Lives and Dollars – Word In Black” (August 25, 2025)
