Black Mothers and Infants Face Higher Health Complications in Montgomery County, Report Reveals

Black mothers and infants in Montgomery County face disproportionately higher rates of health complications, according to a report from the Office of Legislative Oversight. Commissioned by Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, the report, Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes, reveals that the maternal morbidity rate for Black women is 54 percent higher than the countywide average.

The report found that Black individuals in Montgomery County experience considerably worse maternal and infant health outcomes, including the highest rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM), cesarean births, preterm births, low birth weight, and fetal and infant deaths. The report also notes that one-third of severe maternal morbidity cases in Maryland are preventable. These disparities are expected to worsen as the county’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) population grows.

 https://www.mymcmedia.org/black-mothers-and-infants-face-higher-health-complications-report-reveals/