The U.S. is ranked 64th in maternal mortality, putting us behind Russia, Tajikistan, and Albania, among others, and about tied with Iran.  Maternal health statistics in New Jersey are also bleak.   The state has the fourth highest maternal mortality rate out of the fifty states; only Indiana, Georgia and Louisiana have higher rates. And when looking at the demographic breakdown of the rates in New Jersey, Black women experience seven times the rate of death from pregnancy-associated causes compared to their white counterparts.

With guest Ria Rodney from NurtureNJ, we learn why, in a country that spends more on healthcare than any other, mothers are dying at rates unseen in other developed nations.  She helps peel back the layers of this complex issue, why it disproportionately affects women of color, and what is being done about it here in New Jersey – and there are glimmers of hope.  

Find out more about NurtureNJ:  https://nurturenj.nj.gov