A recent study conducted by Annamaria Milazzo, a research assistant professor at the University of Houston’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender and Sexuality, highlights significant disparities in severe pregnancy complications between Black and white women in Texas.
Milazzo’s research, based on Texas hospital discharge data spanning from 2016 to 2022 and encompassing nearly 2.5 million births, reveals that Black women experience severe pregnancy complications nearly twice as frequently as their white counterparts. Specifically, the study found that in 2016, more than 100 Black women per 10,000 hospitalizations faced severe complications, compared to about 50 white women. By 2022, these numbers rose to approximately 125 Black women versus 60 white women per 10,000 hospitalizations.
The disparity in severe maternal morbidity is largely attributed to preexisting health conditions among Black women. Factors such as bias in treatment and disparities in access to high-quality healthcare services also contribute to these alarming statistics. Milazzo presented these findings during a recent webinar alongside other experts.
Neema Langa, an Assistant Professor specializing in African American studies and sociology at the University of Houston, emphasized that Texas, in particular, faces challenges as a “maternity care desert,” where access to healthcare facilities, insurance coverage, and financial resources significantly influence maternal health outcomes.
Milazzo’s analysis underscores that approximately 78% of the racial disparity in pregnancy complications can be traced back to preexisting health conditions, with up to 20% potentially influenced by other factors such as bias or healthcare access disparities.
Zelma Tuthill, another Assistant Professor at the University of Houston, expressed concern over the persistent disparities in maternal health outcomes even when comparing Black and white women receiving care in the same hospital under the same medical supervision.
Addressing potential policy solutions, Milazzo highlighted the critical need to expand health insurance coverage, particularly Medicaid, for low-income women in Texas. Currently, one in four women of reproductive age in the state lacks health insurance, limiting access to essential prenatal and maternity care services.
The study’s findings coincide with broader national trends of declining life expectancy and worsening health conditions in the United States, further highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to address racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.
The University of Houston’s research underscores the critical importance of addressing healthcare access, preexisting health conditions, and systemic biases to ensure equitable maternal health outcomes for all women in Texas and beyond.
