NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new study from the CDC shows that more women are dying during childbirth in Tennessee. Many officials in healthcare are calling it a health crisis.
The study shows pregnancy-related deaths for white and Hispanic women more than doubled in Tennessee in the last ten years. Black women have it the worst. They are three times more likely to die from childbirth than white women.
According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate in 2021 was 89% higher than in 2018.
These numbers have drawn the attention of the White House.
"It's a healthcare crisis happening in America happening right before our eyes. I felt the need to take it on in a substantial way," said Vice President Kamala Harris.
Since being in office Harris hosted the first ever Maternal Day of Action at the White House. She recently toured the Baby2Baby distribution headquarters in Los Angeles.
It's an initiative that provides supplies and resources to mothers in need. When asked about why black women lead the nation in deaths during childbirth, Vice President Kamala Harris said there may be multiple factors that play a part.
"Well, one reality of it that may be hard for some people to hear is because she's black. When she walks into that clinic, that doctor's office, that hospital, she is not taken as seriously. Another reality of this issue is that it has nothing to do with her socioeconomic level or her educational level. It literally has to do with the color of her skin and the biases that are present in the system," said Vice President Kamala Harris.
She said addressing the issue of maternal mortality is one of her priorities. Health officials say it's a call to action to understand what the root causes of these increases may be.
Some health officials say healthcare, access to it and policies and procedures that may keep people from being healthy. They're working to figure out why this is happening to protect mothers.
