los Angeles County Records Highest Homicide Rate Among Pregnant Women in U.S.Study
Los Angeles, CA – A new study published in JAMA reveals Los Angeles County has the highest rate of homicides among pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, as national rates of both all-cause homicide and firearm homicide continue to climb. The research underscores a growing maternal health crisis, with homicide now the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum individuals in the U.S.
nationally, there has been a 6% increase in all-cause homicide and an 8% increase in firearm homicide. The JAMA analysis, covering 37 states between 2018 and 2021, identified 7,063 homicides among women aged 15 to 49. Of these, 434 women (6.1%) were pregnant.
the study pinpointed Los Angeles County as having the highest number of these cases. Pregnant women aged 20 to 24 experienced the highest proportion of homicides. Researchers found stark racial disparities, with non-Hispanic Black women disproportionately affected, representing the highest proportion of homicides among both pregnant and non-pregnant women.
“Among the pregnant women who died by homicide, there were stark demographic differences,” researchers stated. “There were disparities by race and ethnicity,with the highest proportion of homicides for both pregnant and nonpregnant women among individuals of non-Hispanic Black race.These demographic patterns reflect longstanding inequities and highlight the compounded risk of homicide at the intersection of youth, pregnancy, socioeconomic disadvantage, and race.”
The study’s findings emphasize the critical role of firearms in these deaths, with over three-quarters of maternal homicides attributed to firearm violence. Researchers conclude that firearm homicide must be considered a maternal health crisis.
“Homicide remains the leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S… These deaths are not random. They are predictable and thus preventable,” the researchers wrote. They urge ”urgent and coordinated actions from policymakers, public health advocates, and health care systems” to address this preventable loss of life during pregnancy.
