Racial and Ethnic Disparity in Obstetric Anesthesia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Anaesthesia . 2025 Jul;80(7):757–770. doi: 10.1111/anae.16581. Racial and ethnic disparities still exist in the obstetrics field despite advancements in maternal mortality rates. These disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality are tied to experience, access, and outcomes, and they are most severe in high-income countries. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to illuminate this issue in obstetric analgesia and anesthesia. The primary outcome was the use of labor neuraxial analgesia, and secondary outcomes included disparities in the utilization of general anesthesia and postpartum pain. The researchers defined disparity as “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.”