A University of Cambridge study has found that stresses such as systemic racism and socioeconomic disadvantage may sensitise key processes in the body during pregnancy, helping to explain why black women and their babies face significantly higher rates of complication than white women.
Grace Amedor, PhD student of Cambridge Reproduction member Dino Giussani says “Pregnancy and childbirth put great stress on a woman’s body. Black women may experience additional strain due to factors including systemic racism, socioeconomic disadvantage and environmental stressors. During pregnancy, this strain may affect key biological processes in ways that increase the risk of conditions such as pre-eclampsia,” first author of the study, who conducted the work as part of her medical studies at the University of Cambridge.
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