Black women are four times more likely to die in childbirth than women of other ethnicities, with many reporting that they’re being dismissed and neglected by healthcare professionals throughout pregnancy, childbirth and beyond.

So, could inducing pregnant Black women and bringing their birth forward early address that problem? That’s what one prominent medical committee, NICE, proposed this summer. 

In this revisited episode from September 2021, we speak to a doctor who says it’ll make birth safer for mums and babies, and a campaigner who says that early induction is not the solution to a deep and complex issue, rooted in racism and inadequate healthcare for Black mothers-to-be.

A warning, this episode includes discussion about maternal death and stillbirth.