According to the Office for National Statistics, approximately a quarter of women giving birth in England and Wales are from minority ethnic groups. Previous work has indicated that these women have poorer pregnancy outcomes than White women and poorer experience of maternity care, sometimes encountering stereotyping and racism. The aims of this study were to examine service use and perceptions of care in ethnic minority women from different groups compared to White women.

Women in all minority ethnic groups had a poorer experience of maternity services than White women. That this was still the case following publication of a number of national policy documents and local initiatives is a cause for concern. One of those giving evidence, Tricia Boahene, had concerns her baby might be jaundiced when she left hospital, but felt midwives failed to take her seriously.
"We could definitely tell that he was jaundiced and the healthcare professionals just couldn't see it and that is really scary," she says.
Eventually, her baby had to return to hospital.
"The healthcare professionals really struggled to recognise the jaundice, because my son is darker skinned," Tricia says.
"I do feel perhaps if he was lighter, even lighter but still black, they may have noticed it a lot sooner. PLEASE HELP US BY SIGNING THE PETION!!