Black fetal mortality rate falls, still twice as high as national average

Black women’s fetal mortality rate declined by nearly four percent in 2020 but still remained much higher than other racial groups, according to a new report.

In 2021, there were 21,105 fetal deaths, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, published Wednesday. While this was a one percent increase from the 20,854 fetal deaths reported in 2020, Black women were the only ones to see a significant change in mortality rates. 

Black women’s fetal mortality rate declined from 10.34 deaths per 1,000 live births to 9.89. Though this was a decline, the rate remained significantly higher than non-Black feral mortality rates. 

Fetal deaths occur around the 20 weeks of gestation or later. Only 1 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S. end in fetal death. But Black women’s fetal mortality rate is nearly double the national rate. 

Research has shown that Black babies consistently have worse health outcomes, even when born. These negative outcomes persist regardless of the mother's socioeconomic or education status. 

In a study from January, researchers found that babies born to the richest Black women were more likely to have risk factors, including being born premature or underweight, than those born to both poor and rich white mothers. 

It’s unclear exactly what the causes of the fetal deaths were, but the racial disparities follow a pattern of racial disparities in women's health. 

Black pregnant people are three to four times more likely to die than white pregnant people. Reasons for these disparities include a lack of diverse medical professionals, high rates of comorbidities — or the presence of two or more medical conditions in one patient simultaneously – and even mistreatment that stems from unscientific and slavery-era beliefs still present in the medical system. 

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any other high-income country. 

In 2021, Mississippi had the highest rate of maternal mortality for Black mothers. According to Wednesday’s report, Mississippi also had the highest rates of fetal mortality between 2019 and 2021.