Black people in Canada face higher risk of severe maternal morbidity

Severe maternal morbidity includes life-threatening conditions such as preeclampsia, hemorrhage, sepsis, heart conditions, uterine rupture, kidney failure, and more.

Importantly, differences in income and immigration did not explain the disparity. Black people had higher rates of SMM than White people across income levels and among both immigrant and nonimmigrant populations. The findings were also consistent when researchers excluded people with preeclampsia-related conditions, sickle cell disease and HIV - conditions that occur at different rates in Black and White populations and could potentially have contributed to the overall disparity.

The study, which links population-level health records with self-reported race, was conducted through CanHEAL (the Canadian network for Health Equity using Advanced Data Linkage), in partnership with the Black Reproductive Health Working Group.

Dr. Cynthia Maxwell, co-lead of The Black Reproductive Health Working Group in Ontario, maternal fetal medicine specialist at Women's College Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital, and professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of TorontoBlack race is not a biological risk factor for severe pregnancy complications. When these inequities persist across income levels, immigration groups, and different medical conditions, we need to ask what it is about our health and social systems that is producing different outcomes. Black communities need to be part of answering that question and shaping the solutions."

To address these inequities, the authors suggest responsible collection and use of race information in health data, public reporting of race-disaggregated data, accountability to track progress and sustain improvements, antiracism training, and partnerships with Black communities to co-design programs to ensure access to high-quality care in pregnancy through the postpartum period.

Source:

Canadian Medical Association Journal

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