Understanding how known risk factors contribute to ethnic inequalities in maternal death

Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2024 Post

A study, titled 'Impact of maternal risk factors on ethnic disparities in maternal mortality: a national population-based cohort study' by Nicola Vousden et. al. was recently been published in THE LANCET Regional Health Europe. The work was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme and conducted through the Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care.

The study aimed to investigate the contributions of known risk factors to observed ethnic disparities in the UK. Researchers used MBRRACE and routine birth data, to determine that inequalities in maternal mortality in women of Black ethnicity remain significantly increased even after taking account of many known risk factors such as deprivation and pre-existing medical problems, suggesting we need to tackle structural bias before, during and after pregnancy.