Black women are almost three times more likely than white women to die during pregnancy or in the six weeks after giving birth, according to new national data presented to Hackney councillors.
The figures come from MBRRACE-UK, a collaboration that investigates maternal deaths, and were presented by Professor Marian Knight of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford.
Closer to home, data from Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust shows Black mothers are also over-represented in stillbirths and neonatal deaths. In 2025, 21% of stillbirths and 19% of neonatal deaths were to Black mothers. Nationally, Black babies are twice as likely to be stillborn.
The stark disparities were highlighted at a meeting of Hackney Council’s Adults, Health and Integration Scrutiny Commission. Its evidence sessions focused on improving outcomes for Black women in NHS acute and community mental health services, and on implementing recommendations from national reports on maternity and neonatal services.
The commission heard that Black mothers are more likely to face disadvantage. Some 44% live in the most deprived areas, compared with 25-35% of White British mothers. They also have higher rates of recorded complex social factors and are more likely to book antenatal care late, which can lead to poorer outcomes.
Concerns were also raised about preterm birth rates. Black women experience double the rate of preterm labour compared with white women. This is often medically indicated because of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and growth restriction, where a baby is not growing as expected.
England’s maternity watchdog found that Black mothers were nearly twice as likely as white mothers to have their care investigated for safety failings. Data from Maternal Mental Health Disparities (2020-2023) shows 2.3 investigations per 1,000 deliveries for Black women, compared with 1.3 for white women.
The Royal College of Midwives attributes these disparities to institutional racism, calling the situation a “national disgrace”.
Work is under way to tackle the gap. Targeted antenatal classes for Black and Black Mixed Heritage families have supported more than 700 couples and families. Other measures include continuity of care for women with vulnerabilities and inclusive birth planning.
Homerton Healthcare has also set up a Public Health and Equity Board to review quality measures and turn data into action, with a focus on breaking data down by ethnicity and deprivation.
But one speaker acknowledged that progress is slow, and that sustained effort and investment are vital.
Throughout the discussions, speakers returned to the same themes: that tackling systemic racism and providing trauma-informed care are crucial to reducing maternal deaths among Black women, and that Black women’s voices must be heard and acted upon.
