Source: Ohio Policy Institute of Ohio
Urban centers are seeing the highest rates of pregnancy complications for Ohio women, followed by Appalachia, with Black women being impacted the most, a report from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio found (Source: “Severe Pregnancy Complications are Affecting Black Women in Ohio the Most,” Ohio Capital Journal, November 28, 2022).
The brief, Racial and Geographic Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality, points to systemic racism, a lack of healthcare access, and poor community conditions as reasons for the disparities.
Not only are there disparities in general maternal health, but also in maternal morbidity: severe complications that happen during or after labor and delivery that can lead to other major health problems, including hysterectomy or the need for a blood transfusion, according to the brief.