10.9: Childbirth Disparities
Infant Mortality rates worldwide vary historically and present day. The availability of medical intervention has changed the likelihood of infants dying during childbirth. That being said, the medicalization of childbirth as a procedure carries with it differing types of opportunities to treat the process as an ailment. In fact, childbirth is entirely different from most medical procedures that take place in hospitals.
Even in a highly industrialized nation with advanced technology, the United States faces a disparity issue in its infant mortality rates based on race. Historical and sociocultural explanations of this are discussed in this article. Why are black mothers and infants far more likely to die in U.S. from pregnancy-related causes?