Data: U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis of CDC and NCHS data; Note: Maternal deaths are those which occur while pregnant or within 42 days of being pregnant; Chart: Axios Visuals
COVID-19 contributed to a quarter of maternal deaths in the first two years of the pandemic, with Black pregnant women experiencing a mortality rate nearly three times higher than their white peers, according to an oversight report to Congress released on Wednesday.
The big picture: While maternal mortality rates in the U.S. were already higher than in other similarly wealthy countries pre-COVID, researchers found the pandemic continues to aggravate the factors driving up deaths from pregnancy — potentially leading to a worsening crisis.
