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Mid section of pregnant woman touching abdomen over white background

Every year about 700 to 1,200 women die from pregnancy or childbirth difficulties in the United States according to CNN and the documentary series Giving Birth In America.

Of those women, Black women are three to four times more likely to die of pregnancy or delivery complications than white women.

Chief of service for gynecology Dr. Michael Lindsay and Obstetrics at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta told CNN that it’s hard to answer the question of why Black women are at a higher risk of dying during and after pregnancy.

“The racial divide in maternal deaths has been persistent for decades, so the rate is not something new,” explained Dr. Lindsay. He continued, “It’s something we’ve known for a number of years.”

However, other doctors believe they have the answers to that question.

They believe the cause is the difference between health and illnesses in Black and White women. One example being obesity and blood pressure, which also happens to be a major risk factor during pregnancy, are higher in African-American women.

Access to healthcare, education and insurance are also huge factors that affect women in the African-American community.

To watch the documentary head over to CNN.

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(Source: CNN)

(Photo Credit: ThinkStock Images)