Alva Review-Courier -

Pregnancy-related deaths are rising in the United States and the main risk factor is being black, according to new reports that highlight racial disparities in care during and after childbirth.

Black women, along with Native Americans and Alaska natives, are three times more likely to die before, during or after having a baby, and more than half of these deaths are preventable, Tuesday's report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concludes.

Although these deaths are rare — about 700 a year — they have been rising for decades.

"An American mom today is 50% more likely to die in...