Sickle cell disease might be even more deadly among pregnant people, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.
Published earlier this month in the online journal Jama Network Open, the study, titled “Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in Sickle Cell Disease in the National Inpatient Sample,” analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample study.
Looking at the information on over five million deliveries across the U.S. from 2012 to 2018, the researchers found that the rate of maternal deaths amongst people with SCD, overall, was 26 times more than the national rate of maternal deaths amongst people without SCD.
Whereas the rate of maternal deaths amongst people with SCD was roughly about 7.2 deaths out of a population of 10,000 in 2003, the number grew to an average of 13.3 deaths out of 10,000 in 2018. According to their findings, the number hasn’t improved since 2018.
“Pregnancy can bring out negative side effects of any pre-existing condition, and sickle cell disease is no exception,” said co-author of the study, Ahizechukwu Eke, per Johns Hopkins University. “Sickle cell patients require more interventions, including increased blood transfusions, and more frequent ultrasounds to assess the condition of the fetus.”
Of all racial and ethnic groups, Black Americans are among the ones that are most affected. Of the 3,901 deliveries by pregnant people with SCD, 84% were Black Americans. According to the study, the maternal mortality rate amongst Black people with SCD was found to be roughly about 1.2 deaths per 10,000 deliveries.
SCD, in general, is a disease that afflicts members of the Black community the most. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every 365 Black American babies born is diagnosed with SCD. The rate is higher for those diagnosed with the possibility of developing SCD later on in life; one in 13 Black babies are born with sickle cell trait.
Maternal mortality rates are also highest amongst the Black community. According to a report by the CDC, as the rates of maternal death continue to increase among mothers in the U.S., Black women have an increased chance of passing away from pregnancy-related complications. The rate is up to three times more than the chance of white women passing away from a pregnancy-related complication.
Structural racism, implicit bias, lack of healthcare and underlying conditions are all amongst factors in this increased rate amongst Black women.
