Kane County Reporter

Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) is among many Illinois representatives advocating for better maternal health in the state after a new report showed black women are dying at disparately higher rates compared to white women.

The second edition of the Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report found that black women are about three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related condition. Black women were also more likely to die due to pregnancy-related medical causes while white women were more likely to die from pregnancy-related mental health conditions.

“The Illinois Department of Public Health report on maternal morbidity has done a lot to inform our work on providing Black and Brown mothers the support they need to keep themselves and their babies healthy,” Castro wrote in an April 30 Facebook post. “State Senator Mattie Hunter, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt and I are working to end the disparities.”

The 2021 report, which covers deaths from 2016 to 2017, is a follow-up to the initial 2018 study, which covered deaths that occurred in 2015.

The Maternal Mortality Review Committee and Maternal Mortality Review Committee for Violent Deaths worked to identify trends in Illinois’ maternal health and offer recommendations to prevent future maternal mortalities.