Stress from racism may help explain why black women more likely to die in childbirth, study finds

Exclusive: Cambridge research finds socioenvironmental stressors may influence body’s ability to function healthily in pregnancy

Stress from racism and deprivation could explain why black women are more likely to die during childbirth, a study has found.

Researchers reviewed 44 existing studies that examined three physiological pathways associated with worse pregnancy outcomes: oxidative stress, inflammation, and uteroplacental vascular resistance, and found black women had higher levels of the three metrics.