Posted on June 16, 2025
Our Families Deserve Better. Our Future Depends on it.
Co-authored by:
Director of Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy
Data Analyst
For more information on this topic, contact Winifred at wsmith-jenkins@acnj.org.
New Jersey is facing a maternal health crisis–one that is hitting Black mothers and babies the hardest. Many of these tragedies are preventable. In fact, according to the CDC, three in five pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented. New Jersey’s own data underscores this reality. Between 2016 and 2018, there were 44 pregnancy-related deaths in the state, and over 90% were deemed preventable by the New Jersey Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Our next governor must take action!
From our nation’s earliest days, the health and care of pregnant women and their infants have reflected deep inequalities. Historically, white women in early America often received rest and care during pregnancy and childbirth, while enslaved Black women were forced to keep working through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery. Their health and lives, along with the lives of their children, were disregarded, setting the stage for disparities that persist even now.
Let's make children and their
families the center of the
2025 Election Campaign.
The legacy of unequal care continues to shape worse health outcomes for Black mothers and babies today.
In New Jersey, Black mothers are 18 times more likely to suffer from heavy bleeding after giving birth, known as postpartum hemorrhage. They are also seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white mothers. Black infants are more than two times as likely to die before their first birthday. These risks remain high regardless of income, education, or insurance status. The long-standing inequalities in our health care system are deeply rooted in systemic racism and unconscious bias and have significant consequences on how doctors treat women of color.
This is not just a health issue. It’s a human rights issue.
Many of these deaths are preventable. They happen because too many mothers are ignored when they voice pain, mistreated during labor, or denied the prenatal and postpartum care they need. Nationally, one in six women report mistreatment during childbirth, including being shouted at, ignored, or denied help. Black women report these experiences at even higher rates.
We cannot be silent.
Improving maternal and infant health is about restoring dignity, respect, and equity. It is about recognizing that maternal health care is essential health care, and ensuring every mother, regardless of race, zip code, or income, has access to the support, care, and compassion she needs to safely bring a child into the world.
New Jersey’s next governor must have a plan with input from those most impacted.
In this election year, we urge every voter to ask the candidates:
- What will you do to improve care for Black mothers and babies in New Jersey?
- How will you ensure access to respectful, culturally sensitive prenatal and postpartum care?
- Will you support midwives, doulas, and local programs that serve families?
- What steps will you take to tackle the stress and life challenges—like racism, housing, and hunger—that affect maternal health?
Our state’s future depends on healthy beginnings. Let’s demand a future where all mothers and babies thrive.
