The racialisation of risk

The crisis of Black and Brown maternal and perinatal mortality has been making headlines in high-income countries, such as the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, where racialised ethnic minoritised groups and Indigenous/Aboriginal people experience higher incidence of maternal/infant mortality, and worst birth outcomes and experiences. By looking at processes of racialisation in pregnancy and childbirth, we will analyse how some bodies are seen more at risk than others. In this chapter we will also discuss the history and origins of cultural safety and how this concept can help healthcare professionals to address power dynamics that may affect person-centred care during pregnancy and childbirth. If put into practice, cultural safety may help to shift power imbalances that emerge during processes of racialisation embedded in childbirth, addressing maternal and infant inequalities, and attending to the psychological and social needs of ethnically minoritised women and birthing people.