Maternal Mortality among African American Women in Georgia, Policy and Ethical Considerations

Presented at the American Public Health Association Introduction Maternal mortality rate (MMR) refers to the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Currently, in the U.S. the MMR has been rising despite improvements in medical technology over the last decade. The purpose of this review is to discover policy and ethical contextual factors contributing to elevated maternal morbidity and mortality rates among Black women in the State of Georgia. Recommendations regarding policy implications to reduce MMR are provided. Method An integrative review was conducted using online published articles between 2003 and 2019, CDC Wonder, Georgia Department of Public Health website, and OASIS Georgia. A synthesis of findings was used to identify the primary antecedents of elevated MMR among Black women in relation to policies and ethics. Results Georgia data reveals that African American women had a higher pregnancy-related mortality ratio compared to other races. While many factors were reported as the causes of MMR, complications during pregnancy and cardiomyopathy were identified as the leading causes of MMR in Georgia. Complications during pregnancy were common among African American women. In addition, health inequality played a significant role in maternal morbidity and mortality among those that were of lower socioeconomic status, especially among African American women. Maternal mortality resulting from preventable complications during pregnancy can be reduced and prevented through maternal screening, health promotion behavior uptake and effective case management. Conclusion Maternal mortality among African American women is becoming a growing issue intertwined with policies. Therefore, policies and ethical considerations need to be developed and taken into account by future policymakers in the interest to the specific vulnerable population. Recommendations for practice The focus should be on improving the information system and assuring vigilant monitoring of data to detect high-risk pre and post pregnancy cases particularly among African American women more efficiently, and evaluating the performance of healthcare providers regarding that