Cardiovascular Health of Black Women Before, During, and After Pregnancy: A Call to Action and Implications for Prevention

Abstract

Purpose of Review: In the USA, the maternal mortality rate is one of the worst of developed countries. For Black women, this rate is even more stark and highlights the disparities in health care that disproportionately affect communities of color. Recent Findings: Regardless of socioeconomic status or education level, Black women are not immune to the inequities that exist in the delivery of maternal care. Cardiovascular disease has long been identified as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths and emerging research offers a window of opportunity to modify risk factors that contribute to heart disease. In tackling the crisis, solutions must be viewed along the life course of a woman—from childhood to menopause. Summary: Opportunities exist to improve maternal and pediatric outcomes through attention to interconception visits and optimization of Black maternal care. The impact of social determinants of health, including psychosocial stressors and racism, must be acknowledged and recognized as contributors to the ongoing Black maternal cardiovascular health crisis. Future health care delivery models for Black women must involve close collaborations between pediatricians, cardiologists, internists, and obstetricians to improve pregnancy-related outcomes. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.