LAUSR

Black women in the USA face significant inequities in maternal mortality and morbidity. They die from pregnancy-related deaths at a rate three to four times higher than white women, [1] and are more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity (SMM), life-threatening complications caused or exacerbated by pregnancy, in the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. [2] These inequities not only stem from socioeconomic factors affecting access to and quality of care, but are also linked to the stresses of racism—individual and institutional—and their long-term physiological implications. [3] Additionally, implicit and explicit biases in health care can influence whether Black women attend postpartum visits and could, in part, explain these racial disparities. [4,5] However, there is hope—and an imperative to address these inequities—in that over 60% of pregnancy-related deaths in the USA are preventable. [1] Current legislation such as the Mothers and Newborns Success Act, introduced in the US Senate, is investing in important research and funding programs improving maternal care access. The bill supports the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Levels of Care Assessment Tool, which analyzes the level of maternal care in hospitals to inform how they can better meet the needs of communities they serve. It also creates a National Maternal Health Research Network for clinical, epidemiological, and communitybased research on maternal mortality, SMM, and the systemic issues that drive racial inequities. For postpartum care, which is especially crucial for women at risk of SMM, the bill establishes a program to identify and implement best practices. [6] Yet, research on racial bias in clinical settings and numerous stories of Black women experiencing complications after childbirth despite having access to quality care make clear that eliminating the racial inequities of maternal mortality and SMM requires more than just addressing care access. They necessitate a deep look into how implicit and explicit biases in health care put the lives of Black