In a recent social post for Black Maternal Health Week, tennis star, Serena Williams spoke out about the inequities Black women face during pregnancy and birth.
It follows on from a news article in 2018 where she shared the story of the birth of her daughter, Olympia, who was born by emergency c-section after her heart rate dropped dramatically. Olympia was delivered safely in Serena’s arms but she says, “what followed just 24 hours after giving birth were 6 days of uncertainty.”
Serena faced multiple health complications, including a pulmonary embolism – where arteries to the lungs become blocked with blood clots – and said she felt “lucky to have survived.”
Sadly, we know from recent data here in the UK, she’s not alone in her experience.
According to the 2022 MBRRACE-UK Report, ‘Saving Lives, Improving Mother’s Care’, Black women are 3.7 more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than White women.
This is in addition to the fact that Black women are at higher risk of losing their baby during pregnancy. Our research published in The Lancet showed Black women are at a 40% increased risk of experiencing miscarriage and data released by the Office for National Statistics earlier this year showed Black women are almost 50% more likely to experience stillbirth than White women – a gap which has increased between 2020 and 2021.
Our Chief Executive, Kath Abrahams, says:
