Black maternal mortality in North Carolina
38.90
per 100,000 live births
Black women in North Carolina die from pregnancy-related causes at 38.9 per 100,000 live births — 2.0× the US national rate of 19.
US national average: 19 per 100,000 live births
Historical trend
What this means for Black residents
That figure runs materially above the US national average of 19.0 per 100,000 live births.
Maternal mortality is the single most widely studied Black-white health disparity in the United States. In North Carolina, the gap reflects a combination of provider workforce distribution (obstetric hospitals closing in rural and Black-majority counties), insurance churn (Medicaid eligibility that ends post-delivery in non-extension states), and chronic undertreatment of pain and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. National evidence from the CDC MMRC Data System and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative shows that implicit-bias training, standardized hemorrhage and preeclampsia protocols, and Medicaid-covered doula support each measurably reduce preventable deaths. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia — consistently the three highest-rate states — have each piloted at least two of these interventions, but uptake is uneven.
The figures on this page are drawn from CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death, which is the canonical public dataset for this indicator. See the References section below for supporting citations from MMWR, NEJM, and JAMA where the underlying drivers have been studied.
Policy actions
North Carolina has adopted Medicaid expansion, meaning low-income Black women can access prenatal care through Medicaid from the first trimester regardless of employment. 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension is active, keeping coverage in place through the post-delivery period when more than half of maternal deaths occur.
Medicaid does not yet cover doula services in this state. Residents can contact their state Medicaid director and legislative health committee to advocate for a Section 1115 waiver or state plan amendment to add doula coverage — a growing number of states have done so since 2020.
Where to get help in your state
- Find a Black OB-GYN or certified nurse-midwife in North Carolina: Black Health provider directory
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in North Carolina: browse sliding-scale clinics
- Postpartum Support International Helpline: Call or text 1-800-944-4773 (English/Spanish, 24/7)
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance resource hub: blackmamasmatter.org
References & primary sources
- Primary dataset: CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death
- Petersen EE et al. Vital Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, US, 2011–2015 and Strategies for Prevention. MMWR. 2019. mmwr.mm6818e1
- Howell EA. Reducing Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018. PubMed ID: 29346121
Data refreshed: