One in five women reported mistreatment while receiving maternity care, CDC finds

One in five women reported experiencing mistreatment during pregnancy and delivery care, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found, with black women and women of colour facing the highest rates.

The Vital Signs report, conducted in April 2023, analysed data from the Porter Novelli View Moms survey to examine components of respectful care.

It showed that women with no insurance or public insurance at the time of delivery experienced more mistreatment during maternity care than women with private insurance.

While most of the 2,402 survey respondents reported overall satisfaction with the maternity care they received, satisfaction was lower among those who experienced mistreatment.

The most common types of mistreatment reported were receiving no response to requests for help, being shouted at or scolded, not having their physical privacy protected and being threatened with withholding treatment.

Twenty-nine percent of women reported discrimination during maternity care, with the most common reasons for reported discrimination being age, weight, and income.

Black (40 per cent), multiracial (39 per cent), and hispanic (37 per cent) women reported the highest rates of discrimination. Experiences of racial discrimination have previously been associated with pregnancy complications.

Additionally, nearly half of the women surveyed reported holding back from asking questions or discussing concerns with their provider during maternity care.

“As a healthcare community, we need to do all we can to make sure we are delivering equitable and respectful care to women during pregnancy and delivery,” said CDC chief medical officer, Debra Houry.

“Health systems, hospitals, and providers can take steps to improve care and lower the risk of pregnancy-related complications and death for all women. These data show that we must do better to support mums.”

CDC division of reproductive health director, Wanda Barfield, said: “As a doctor, mother, and black woman, it is disheartening to hear how common mistreatment is and to see differences in mistreatment and discrimination during maternity care based on things like race and insurance coverage.

“We know that racism and discrimination can lead to delays in treatment and sometimes tragic and preventable deaths.

“Healthcare provider trainings on unconscious bias and culturally appropriate care may be a first step in understanding how to provide respectful maternity care to all women.”

Improving the quality of maternity care is one approach that can prevent pregnancy-related deaths and complications. Effective communication among healthcare providers and patients is vital in building trust and ensuring patients feel comfortable sharing health concerns with their doctors.

The US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra, said: “Every mother deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

“Maternal care is a core component of this nation’s health care, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to improving maternal health outcomes. Bias, stigma, and mistreatment have no place in our healthcare systems.”