LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of American women who died from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with African-American women hit the hardest, according to a U.S. government report released Wednesday.
Hundreds of women in the United States die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, known as maternal death.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for maternal health, as pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to experience pregnancy complications, severe illness, or death, said the report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Research also shows racial and ethnic disparities in maternal deaths.
Maternal deaths in the United States increased during the pandemic compared to 2018 and 2019, with COVID-19 contributed to one quarter of all maternal deaths in 2020 and 2021, according to the report.
The maternal death rate for African-American women was disproportionally higher compared to White and Hispanic women, according to the report.
