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A major Canadian study confirms what other countries have long documented — Black patients face significantly higher rates of severe maternal morbidity than White patients. Analyzing over 1.4 million hospital deliveries from 2012–2023, researchers found Black patients had a 66% higher risk of serious complications even after adjusting for social and clinical factors. Experts say universal healthcare doesn't mean universal access, and equity-driven care models are urgently needed.
A new study published in CMAJ confirms that Black patients in Canada face significantly higher rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) — life-threatening complications during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or the postpartum period — compared to White patients. Researchers analyzed over 1.49 million hospital deliveries between 2012 and 2023, finding that the disparity persisted even after accounting for sociodemographic and clinical differences.
Lead author Dr. Giulia Muraca of McMaster University emphasized that Canada's universal healthcare system does not guarantee universal access, and that these findings now provide the hard evidence needed to investigate where in the care pathway these inequities arise. Notably, SMM rates declined with rising income among White patients but increased with rising income among Black patients — a striking finding that underscores the complexity of race-based health disparities.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings challenge the assumption that universal healthcare eliminates health inequities. Clinicians and policymakers are being called to adopt equity-informed, culturally responsive care models and invest in race-disaggregated data collection to drive meaningful improvements in maternal outcomes for Black communities.
