Black Women Face Higher Risk of Pregnancy Complications in Connecticut—And the Gap Is Largely Preventable
Connecticut is often seen as a state with strong health care systems, yet Black women in Connecticut are still more likely to experience severe, life-threatening pregnancy complications than white women. That reality sits at the center of a growing push among clinicians, advocates, and state leaders to name what’s driving the disparity—and to fix it.
What “pregnancy complications” looks like in real life
When people hear “complications,” they may think of routine pregnancy discomforts. But public health experts focus on severe maternal morbidity (SMM)—serious, potentially life-threatening conditions during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period. These can include (among others):
- Severe bleeding (hemorrhage)
- Dangerously high blood pressure and preeclampsia/eclampsia
- Infections and sepsis
- Blood clots
- Severe cardiac events
- Emergency hysterectomy or ICU admission
Connecticut’s own reporting shows SMM isn’t rare—and it’s not evenly distributed across communities.
What the data shows in Connecticut
Multiple Connecticut-focused reports and analyses point to the same headline: Black women in Connecticut experience life-threatening pregnancy complications at about twice the rate of white women.
Connecticut’s Department of Public Health has also documented strong relationships between severe maternal morbidity and race/ethnicity, along with factors like payer type (insurance), prenatal care, age, and geography.
And when deaths do occur, Connecticut has formal systems to review them and identify what could have prevented them—because many maternal deaths are tied to fixable breakdowns in care and support.
Why Black women are at higher risk—even in a “high-resource” state
Health experts increasingly emphasize that the disparity is not about Black women making worse choices—it’s about systems creating unequal conditions and unequal care.
1) Bias and dismissal in clinical settings
A recurring theme in maternal health work is that Black patients’ pain, symptoms, and concerns can be minimized or not taken seriously—especially around warning signs like headaches, swelling, shortness of breath, chest pain, heavy bleeding, or feeling “off.” Connecticut clinicians and researchers have highlighted how preventable complications often connect back to delayed recognition and response.
2) Higher exposure to chronic stress and health risks (driven by inequity)
Chronic stress, unequal access to stable housing/food, environmental exposures, and barriers to continuous care can raise the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and other conditions that complicate pregnancy—factors linked to severe maternal morbidity.
3) Insurance and postpartum gaps
Many dangerous events happen after delivery, when support can drop off quickly. Policy changes to extend postpartum coverage matter because complications like blood clots, cardiomyopathy, infection, and postpartum hypertension can escalate fast after someone goes home. Connecticut’s reforms increasingly reflect this reality.
What Connecticut is doing now
Connecticut has several active efforts aimed at reducing severe complications and closing racial gaps:
- Maternal Mortality Review Program (MMRP/MMRC): The state conducts multidisciplinary reviews of maternal deaths to identify contributing factors and prevention opportunities.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage: Connecticut’s maternal health equity planning notes that postpartum people are eligible for Medicaid for 12 months after delivery—a key change because postpartum risks don’t end at 6 weeks.
- Doula certification and payment reforms: Connecticut has moved toward stronger doula infrastructure (including certification/registration) and has pursued payment models that include doula services, though participation remains a challenge.
- Newer maternal and infant health laws: State lawmakers have advanced bills that include strategies to expand birth centers/birthing hospitals in underserved regions and increase Medicaid reimbursement for doulas.
- Maternal Health Equity Blueprint: A statewide roadmap—supported by Connecticut health leaders—lays out recommendations across care delivery, financing, workforce, and accountability to move toward equity.
What still needs to change
Even with reforms underway, the biggest gains usually come from combining policy with changes inside hospitals and clinics:
- Stronger “listen and escalate” protocols so symptoms are acted on quickly and consistently
- More equitable access to prenatal and postpartum visits, including transportation and scheduling support
- Better coordination between OB care and primary care/cardiology for hypertension and heart-related risks
- Community-based supports (doulas, home visiting, lactation, mental health) that continue after birth
- Transparent measurement and accountability so disparities are tracked and addressed, not hidden
