Seminars in perinatology
-
Racial and ethnic disparities are prevalent within healthcare and have persisted despite advances in medicine and public health. Disparities have been described in the use of neuraxial labor analgesia, with minority women being less likely to use neuraxial labor analgesia than non-minority white women. ⋯ The origins of these disparities are likely multi-factorial, with patient-, provider-, and systems-level contributors. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of disparities in obstetric anesthesia.
-
Seminars in perinatology · Aug 2017
ReviewEpidemiology of racial/ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity and mortality.
The literature abounds with examples of racial/ethnic disparities in both obstetric outcomes and care. Disparities in maternal mortality are well documented with non-Hispanic blacks carrying the burden of the highest maternal mortality rates. Maternal deaths likely represent only the "tip of the iceberg" with respect to pregnancy complications, leading many to explore risk factors and disparities in severe maternal morbidity, a more common precursor to maternal mortality. This review article explores commonly cited indicators of severe maternal morbidity and includes a review of the epidemiological literature supporting or refuting disparities among each indicator.