Overview
Maternal mortality is far too high in New York and disproportionately affects Black women, regardless of their prenatal care, income and education levels. Preventive and supportive care must be systematically available and easily accessible to lower maternal mortality. Half of pregnancies in New York are covered by Medicaid, making Medicaid a key lever decreasing the number of women who die during pregnancy or childbirth.
The research shows that Black women are 5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women, and Black infants are 2 times more likely to die than White infants.