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Report: Black women in NYS more likely to die during childbirth

Posted at 12:43 AM, Mar 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-13 00:43:19-04

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Black women in New York state are two to three times more likely to die during childbirth compared to white women.

The finding comes from a report released Tuesday by a state task force on maternal mortality.

The report recommends better hospital training on racial disparities and new training programs midwives.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the report's findings show the need to do more to ensure all pregnant women have access to the care they need.

Cuomo's state budget proposal includes $8 million in new funding to address maternal mortality.

According to the report, New York ranked 30th in the nation for maternal mortality in 2016.

The report found that during one two-year period, nearly two-thirds of the women who died in child birth received cesarean sections.