Black women in England are up to six times more likely to experience serious birth complications compared to their white counterparts, according to a Guardian analysis of NHS figures for 2022-23. The data shows that Black women accounted for 26% of cases of pre-eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension during delivery, despite comprising only 5% of all deliveries. In contrast, white women made up 47.2% of such cases while representing 70% of deliveries.
Pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, affects between 1% and 5% of pregnant women in the UK. The condition can lead to severe complications for both mother and baby. Black women were also 1.5 times more likely to develop pre-eclampsia generally and were overrepresented in birth complications related to high blood pressure, making up 16% of these cases.
Experts attribute the disparities to structural racism, unconscious bias among healthcare professionals, and higher rates of pre-existing conditions such as hypertension in certain ethnic groups. Prof Asma Khalil, vice president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “The figures are striking and demonstrate inequality, but unfortunately I’m not really surprised.” She called for a multidisciplinary approach involving public health doctors, policymakers, and government investment.
Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, chair of the black maternal health all party parliamentary group, described the figures as “stark” and urged the government to set a binding target to end the maternal mortality disparity. Black women in the UK are almost four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women, and Black babies are twice as likely to be stillborn.
Dr Anita Banerjee, an obstetric physician, said the figures were “disheartening” and emphasised the need for healthcare professionals to build trust with marginalised communities. An NHS spokesperson stated that the health service is committed to ensuring equitable care, with all local maternity systems now having action plans in place.
