That reality is among several startling statistics from a new 2024 March of Dimes Report Card for Michigan that’s causing heartburn for a SOS MATERNITY Network that’s working to do something about it.

“While we take pride in the medical advancements achieved over decades, it is disheartening and unacceptable that both the United States and Michigan continue to face alarmingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality compared to most developed countries,” Sonia Hassan, the network’s coordinator, wrote in an editorial for The Detroit News.

“The infant mortality rate among babies born to Black birthing people is 2.1x the state rate,” according to the March of Dimes report.

The data, based on the infant mortality rate from 2020-2022, shows 13.4 deaths per 1,000 live births for Black mothers.

“Our black birthing patients are four to five times more likely to have complications or severe morbidity or mortality from pregnancy-related things,” Abigail Ramseyer, specialist with University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, told WLNS. “We also know that four out of five maternal deaths are preventable…so we need to be doing things to move that needle to make sure we are providing high-quality care to people.”