The Impact of the Pandemic on Pregnancy: A Research Response

By: Dorothy Fink, M.D, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health, Director, Office on Women’s Health and Diana W. Bianchi, M.D, Director, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Summary: HHS is committed to strengthening maternal health and ending health disparities through research efforts that address life-threatening pregnancy complications.

Maternal health and health disparities are key priorities for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Our commitment continues through ongoing research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to address life-threatening pregnancy complications. The statistics surrounding maternal mortality and morbidity are staggering: On average, every 12 hours, a woman dies from complications from pregnancy or giving birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 60% of these deaths are preventable. Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women are about three times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause, compared to white women, Hispanic women and Asian/Pacific Islander women.