Now that former U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) will be New Jersey’s new governor, health equity advocates say she must confront the dangerous maternal and infant health crisis that has impacted the state.
New Jersey has long grappled with poor maternal health outcomes. Between 2018 and 2021, the state’s maternal mortality rate was 25.7 per 100,000 live births, above the national average. The state also ranked 47th in the U.S. for maternal mortality, making it one of the worst states in the nation for mothers to give birth in.
Stark racial disparities further compound the crisis: Black women face a maternal mortality rate 6.6 times higher than white women, and Hispanic women 3.5 times higher. Even though the state has low overall infant mortality, babies born to Black mothers are 2.3 times more likely to die than the state average.
Despite recent advancements toward maternal health equity in New Jersey, health practitioners and advocates say severe disparities persist that Sherrill and her administration must address.
Dr. Nastassia K. Harris, founder and executive director of the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative, cited systemic racism as the leading cause of Black mothers not receiving quality medical care. Overall, she argued that New Jersey isn’t using the right strategies to prevent maternal death.
Data from the CDC shows that between 2017 and 2019, over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. were preventable. In New Jersey, 91% of pregnancy-related deaths were reportedly preventable from 2016 to 2018.
Harris also stated that New Jersey isn’t capturing the “lived experiences of Black women who didn’t die during childbirth.” Even after surviving pregnancy, women often face complications like C-sections, postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and psychological trauma.
“There’s still women who are not being listened to, values not being respected, being spoken to in a demeaning manner,” Harris said. “I had a mother, just this week, who was so afraid of having Medicaid that she would be mistreated based on having that level of insurance. So Black women birthing here do not feel safe doing so.”
In May, Sherrill wrote on X that she will “build a system where every mother is heard and cared for” as governor. Sherrill stated on Facebook that she would fight to end disparity and the Black maternal health crisis by passing legislation like the Black Maternal Momnibus Act.
Kate Shamszad, director of Policy at the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, hopes that state-level grant funding will be continued by the Sherrill Administration, as the federal government is expected to cut $350 million in funding for health programs.
“The state has been very focused on making sure that there are services and support available to pregnant women,” said Shamszad. “There have been many pilots and grant-funded programs, but the opportunity still exists to make sure that they are spread and available and sustained so that every birthing person has access.”
Maternal health equity has improved during the Murphy administration, which has implemented initiatives such as Nurture NJ and increased awareness and engagement with the issue. March of Dimes reported that New Jersey has improved in terms of maternal mortality, with a current rate of 23.9.
Since 2018, New Jersey has gone from 47th to 25th in the U.S., according to America’s Health Rankings. However, New Jersey is still above the national average in maternal mortality rates.
“We know that there are still gaps that exist in the care that people are receiving, particularly related to those who [are] Black or Brown birthing women in the state,” said Shamszad. “And so there’s still opportunity to make sure that care [is] respectful and safe for everyone.”
As part of Nurture NJ, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is now developing the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center in Trenton. This upcoming center, having received $75 million in federal aid, is expected to be an equitable hub for reproductive health research and perinatal workforce training.
Despite the Murphy administration’s efforts to advance maternal health equity, Harris believes that taking a top-down approach to the issue was a mistake. She said the state government did not engage with community-based organizations working specifically with Black families.
State grants for maternal health often supported larger health organizations, Harris said. This has made it difficult for smaller organizations to manage the large budget without partnering with a larger organization.
According to Harris, these grants are often meant for organizations serving people in all communities. Thus, an organization like the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative,which focuses on treating Black women and other marginalized groups, wouldn’t fit a grant’s intended scope.
In an emailed statement statement, Sherrill told NJ Urban News that there is “Black maternal health crisis in the state. She added that she is “committed to working alongside community leaders to strengthen Nurture NJ and the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority.”
“I’ll support our growing families by building out the midwife and doula workforce and leveraging telehealth services, remote monitoring, and home visiting programs to make sure moms and their newborns are getting the care they deserve,” she said.
Advocates and practitioners hope that the new Sherrill administration will continue to address maternal health equity as severe disparities in mortality rates persist. They also say that the state government must provide more consistent research and funding, as well as engage with communities to ensure their specific health needs are met.
“What we need to be working towards is making sure Black women are experiencing joyful birth experiences that they can look back on that experience fondly and say that, ‘You know, I brought this life forward, and I remember that for the rest of my life as something that was good,’” said Harris.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include a statement from Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill.