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OLO report shows persistent racial gaps in maternal and infant outcomes; Council chair demands 60-day HHS action plan
Summary
An Office of Legislative Oversight report found Black mothers and infants in Montgomery County face higher rates of severe maternal morbidity, cesarean delivery, preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality, prompting Chair Lori Ann Sales to request a written HHS action plan within 60 days and follow-up on program capacity, data and funding.
An Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) report presented to the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Committee documented persistent racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes and prompted the committee to demand concrete, time-bound steps from county agencies.
Natalia Carrizosa of OLO summarized the report’s findings: "The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country and the infant mortality rate is also higher than most other high-income countries," she said, and OLO highlighted that Black and Indigenous mothers and infants suffer the worst outcomes locally. OLO analysts told the committee that disparities arise from three broad drivers: the legacy of racist pseudoscience, contemporary medical racism (including differential treatment and workforce gaps) and…
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