, Columnist
Paid Maternity Leave Saves Lives
The U.S. has a terrible record on Black maternal health. Paid parental leave would improve it.
Paid leave would be very helpful right about now.
Photographer: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Despite spending more than $111 billion on maternal and infant health care per year, the U.S. ranks last among high-income nations in maternal mortality rates. A closer look at the data shows that Black women lead these numbers: Black women are two to three times more likely than White women to die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications.
Solving the maternal mortality crisis among Black women is essential for bringing down America’s shamefully high maternal mortality rate. One place to start is with federally mandated, paid maternity leave.