Differences in maternal mortality among black and white women--United States, 1990.

The risk for maternal mortality has consistently been higher among black women than white women. The 1990 national health objective of reducing maternal mortality to no more than five deaths per 100,000 live births for any racial/ethnic group was nearly achieved for white women, for whom the maternal mortality ratio was 5.7 in 1990 (1); for black women, however, the ratio was 18.6. The year 2000 national health objectives include reducing the overall maternal mortality ratio to no more than 3.3 deaths per 100,000 live births and to no more than five for blacks (objective 14.3) (2). This report summarizes race-specific differences in maternal mortality among black and white women for 1990 and compares these with trends in mortality from 1940-1990.