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A RESOLUTION declaring March 2023 to be Kentucky Maternal and Infant 1
Mortality and Disparities Awareness Month. 2
WHEREAS, economic inequality, structural racism, and public health failures have 3
resulted in higher illness and death rates for black people, especially when it comes to 4
maternal and reproductive health; and 5
WHEREAS, Kentucky is suffering a maternal mortality crisis as a result of 6
underinvesting and underfunding in health care for women, particularly in black 7
communities, leading to a precipitous increase in maternal mortality rates and racial 8
disparities; and 9
WHEREAS, the maternal mortality rate is defined as the number of women who die 10
during pregnancy, child delivery, or within 42 days of giving birth; and the national 11
maternal mortality rate is 20.1 per 100,000 live births and the Kentucky maternal mortality 12
rate is nearly double the national average at a staggering rate of 37.7 per 100,000 live 13
births; and 14
WHEREAS, data shows a racial disparity exists among the maternal mortality rate in 15
black women and white women in the United States, as the maternal mortality rate for 16
black women is 55.3 per 100,000 compared to white women who have a maternal 17
mortality rate of 19.1 per 100,000 live births; and 18
WHEREAS, black women are estimated to be three to four times more likely to die 19
from a pregnancy-related complication than white women; and 20
WHEREAS, the incidence of pregnancy-related mortality of black women in some 21
parts of the United States is close to that of women in some developing countries; and 22
WHEREAS, maternal deaths appear to be higher among black women than white 23
women in Kentucky; and 24
WHEREAS, it is estimated more than 60 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are 25
preventable; and 26
WHEREAS, in the United States and Kentucky, there are disparities between black 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 158
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and white infant mortality rates; and 1
WHEREAS, the national infant mortality rate for white infants is 5.4 per 1,000 live 2
births and the national infant mortality rate for black infants is more than double at an 3
alarming rate of 10.6 per 1,000 live births; and 4
WHEREAS, the infant mortality rate in Kentucky is 6.3 per 1,000 live births, the 5
infant mortality rate for black infants in Kentucky is 9.9 per 1,000 live births, and the 6
infant mortality rate for white infants in Kentucky is 6 per 1,000 live births; and 7
WHEREAS, the leading cause of infant mortality in Kentucky is prematurity-related 8
conditions followed by sudden unexpected infant death syndrome; and 9
WHEREAS, black infants are 2.3 times more likely to die from complications related 10
to low birthweight compared to white infants; and black mothers are 2.5 times more likely 11
than white mothers to receive late or no prenatal care; and 12
WHEREAS, in the United States, the rate of preterm birth among black women is 13
36 percent higher than the rate of preterm birth among white women; and 14
WHEREAS, to reduce health disparities, policymakers should improve maternal 15
health outcomes and lower infant mortality by providing equity in care to all people in 16
Kentucky, including helping patients manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart 17
disease, high blood pressure, and obesity; identifying and addressing unconscious bias in 18
healthcare; and ensuring all pregnant women have adequate access to perinatal and 19
postpartum care; 20
NOW, THEREFORE, 21
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 22
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 23
ď˘Section 1. The House of Representatives does hereby designate the month of 24
March 2023 to be Kentucky Maternal and Infant Mortality and Disparities Awareness 25
Month. 26