Study Finds Black Women Experience Severe Pregnancy Complications at Twice the Rate of White Women in Texas

By Dominic Anthony Walsh | Houston Public Media | July 15, 2024

A study found that Black women in Texas experience severe birth complications from pregnancy nearly twice as often as white women, reports Houston Public Media. The study from researchers at University of Houston found that for every 10,000 hospitalizations in 2022, about 60 white women experienced complications compared to about 125 Black women. The disparity stems mostly from preexisting health conditions, although difference in treatment due to bias or access to care may also play a role. The overall rate of severe pregnancy complications, like hemorrhaging, eclampsia, sepsis and organ failure, increased by 18 percent from 2016 through 2022.