Background: Maternal morbidity and mortality continue to pose serious public health challenges in the United States, where outcomes remain poorer than those reported in comparable high-income nations. These adverse outcomes are unevenly distributed. Maternal health disparities remain markedly pronounced among Black women with an elevated risk of pregnancy-related complications and death.
Objective: This review synthesises existing evidence on racial and ethnic inequities in maternal health outcomes in the United States, with particular attention to the lived realities of Black women and the multifactorial drivers underlying these disparities.
Methods: A literature review of peer-reviewed research published over the past two decades was conducted. Studies addressing maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and pregnancy-related complications across racial and ethnic groups were examined, alongside evidence related to social determinants of health, healthcare delivery, structural racism, and quality improvement strategies.
Results: The literature consistently shows that Black women experience markedly higher pregnancy-related mortality rates than White women, even after accounting for medical comorbidities and timing of prenatal care. Persistent inequities are strongly linked to structural and social factors, including systemic racism, implicit bias in healthcare settings, gaps in insurance coverage, barriers to reproductive healthcare access, and socioeconomic disadvantage. While system-level interventions, such as standardized obstetric care protocols, have improved maternal outcomes and reduced disparities, uneven implementation may limit their effectiveness.
Conclusion: Significant racial and ethnic differences in maternal health outcomes continue to be observed in the United States and are largely driven by social and structural forces. Meaningful progress will require equity-focused clinical practice, inclusive research, policy reform, and broader social advocacy.
Keywords: Black Mothers, Pain Management, maternal health, Racial Health Disparities.
How to cite this article: Kurup PR, R S, Disparities in Maternal Healthcare Access and Outcomes Among Black Mothers in North America: A Narrative Review. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(2s): 234-239; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.234-239