Most maternal deaths – which happen during pregnancy, labor or within 42 days of birth, per the CDC – are preventable. But maternal death rates surged by nearly 40% during the second year of the pandemic, widening disparities as Black women again faced alarmingly high, disproportionate rates, a new federal analysis shows. In 2021, there were about 33 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births – a 38% increase from the year before, according to the report released Thursday from the National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC. Visit the link in bio to learn more.