Partnering With The Community: Best Practices For Equitable Clinical Research

MedStar Health’s Safe Babies Safe Moms Program (SBSM) has demonstrated success in helping to turn the tide against maternal mortality in Washington, DC. This program’s foundational research was centered on the lived experiences of community members.

Despite progress, maternal health remains a crisis in the U.S. with Black patients who give birth are more than three times more likely than their white counterparts to die from causes related to pregnancy.  

The maternal mortality rate is higher in the U.S. than in any other developed nation, and the problem is worse for Black women. According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black mothers die at a rate nearly three-and-a-half times higher than their White and Hispanic counterparts, and almost five times that of Asian American birthing individuals.

Severe maternal morbidity, including cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, bleeding, anemia, depression, and anxiety, follows similar trends. A retrospective study found Black birthing individuals have a 70% greater risk of these outcomes related to pregnancy than their White counterparts. 

Studies have shown that about 80% of pregnancy-related deaths and 90% of maternal morbidities can be prevented. To help understand more about how and why these disparities exist and stubbornly remain, it’s essential to consider both the numbers and the narratives behind Black mothers’ experiences.