MSMU RSWG 2023 final - Flipbook - Page 28
Source: Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention,
Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance Survey
FIGURE 15
CALIFORNIA WOMEN WHO REPORTED HAVING A MAMMOGRAM OR PAP TEST
2018
81%
79%
76%
2020
79%
PAP TEST
21-65 years of age
within past three years
MAMMOGRAM
50-74 years of age
within past two years
Childbirth
We have not yet witnessed a drop in childbirth since the pandemic’s onset. In 2021, about 460,000
California women gave birth, compared to 451,000 in 2019.73
About 2% of new mothers are 15–19 years of age; teen mothers have a higher chance of delivering
low-birthweight or pre-term infants than women 20–35 years of age. These birth factors are associated
with increased risk of infant death. Based on an infant mortality rate of 4.17,74 four out of 1,000 infants
did not live to celebrate their first birthday.
Health outcome studies show that exclusive breastfeeding is associated with improved infant and
childhood health, as well as with decreased rates of childhood obesity.75 In California, 94% of mothers
initiate breastfeeding and 70% exclusively breastfed their infants at birth.76
The health of infants is connected to the health of the mother. Pregnancy-related deaths of mothers
are mothers who die within one year of ending a pregnancy (either by giving birth or other means).
Significantly more infants die within one year of birth than their mothers die from pregnancy-related
causes. About one-third of mothers who die within one year from the end of pregnancy are from
cardiovascular issues related to the pregnancy.
Note: Deaths of both infants
and mothers are within one
year of birth or the end of
pregnancy. Note that we
have adjusted both columns
to a 100,000 baseline for
consistency. Infant mortality
rates are typically reported
out of 1,000 live births.
Source: California
Department of Public
Health, Maternal, Child and
Adolescent Health Division
FIGURE 16
CALIFORNIA’S INFANT77 AND MATERNAL78 PREGNANCY-RELATED MORTALITY
RATES BY RACE/ETHNICITY OF MOTHER
Infant mortality rate
(deaths/100,000 live births)
Maternal mortality rate
(deaths/100,000 live births)
ALL
417
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
836
12.8
47.3
ASIAN
AMERICAN
14.0
421
LATINA
12.6
345
WHITE
11.1
231
Two figures that jump out from the table above: The mortality rates for Black mothers and their babies
are significantly higher than for other races/ethnicities. Black babies are more than twice as likely to
die within one year than White babies; Black mothers are more than four times more likely to die from
pregnancy-related causes than White women.
28 THE REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CALIFORNIA | 2023
