SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — There were 10,960 live births in South Dakota in 2020, according to the March of Dimes.
Those births were across various ages and races but the majority (72%) were to white mothers.
Although white mothers account for the most yearly births in South Dakota, they do not account for the most maternal deaths or experience many of the other challenges other mothers may face.
American Indian mothers account for 15% of births, but 42% of the maternal deaths in South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. The DOH said 5.6% of deaths are in Asian women and 2.8% are in black women.
The state averages seven maternal deaths a year, according to the DOH.
On average from 2018-2020, the breakdown of race for live births for mothers was 5.7% were Hispanic, 72.3% were white, 3.8% were black, 14.7% were American Indian/Alaska Native and 2.0% were Asian/Pacific Islander, according to the March of Dimes.
A 2020 PRAMS Survellience Data Report from the DOH details several factors of birth mothers in the state. PRAMS is the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.
While depression is increasing among mothers, an American Indian mother experiences a higher percentage of depression before and after birth than white mothers or mothers of other races.
Overall prevalence of South Dakota mothers who were emotionally abused during pregnancy was
4.9%. Women who were American Indian (13.4%), Hispanic (8.5%) or other races (6.5%) reported higher rates of emotional abuse than white mothers (2.6%).
White mothers in general also attended more of their prenatal care visits.
“Mothers who were white, older, had more years of education, were married, and had household
incomes greater than $48,000 had higher prevalence of attending 80% or more of prenatal care visits
compared with their counterparts. The Southeast region had the highest prevalence of attending 80% or
more of prenatal care visits,” the DOH report said.
Multiple reports show that families who are American Indian, Black or are of another race earn a lower median income than white families. They would likely fall into a household income of less than $48,000, which was an identifier of mothers who did not attend all their pre-natal classes.
South Dakota has a high percentage of women in the workforce.
The state’s Department of Labor and Regulation said that as of 2020, female participation in the labor force is 64.2%.
Studies have been done for the Sioux Falls area, other cities such as Brookings, as well as state-wide and nation-wide studies that indicate the gaps in adequate and/or affordable child care.
Multiple studies also show that women earn less than men. And women of color earn less than white women when compared to men. A specific report by the singlemotherguide said that African-American women earn only 64¢, while Hispanic and Latinas fare worse, being paid just 56¢ on the dollar as compared to men.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80% of all single-family households in the U.S. are led by a woman.
The state had an estimated 11.6% of its population living in poverty in 2020, according to the Census Bureau.
The Federal Reserve of St. Louis said 12.7% of children aged 5 to 17 in South Dakota families live in poverty.