Enhanced Earnings Associated with Better Pregnancy Safety

The link between financial status and health is seldom as straightforward as we presume. While it is clear that poverty takes a toll on individuals, the underlying mechanisms often remain unclear, hidden within vague discussions of “access” and “resources.” A recent study that encompasses nearly thirty years provides clearer evidence: when states hiked their minimum wage, there was a decrease in the incidence of hazardous hypertension among pregnant women.

This finding, featured in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, was derived from an evaluation of all 50 states from 1992 to 2019. Researchers from Rutgers University monitored 61 occasions when states raised their minimum wage by no less than a dollar and contrasted the impact on maternal health in these states with those where wages remained stagnant. The results were evident. With each dollar increase, there were approximately 64 fewer occurrences of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy per 100,000 women in the subsequent five years.

Hypertensive disorders, which encompass preeclampsia and eclampsia, are significant health concerns. They are a leading contributor to maternal mortality in the United States and increase the risk of stroke, seizures, and permanent heart damage. Their occurrence has doubled in the last twenty years. Furthermore, they do not affect all women equally. Women from lower-income backgrounds and Black women, who face pregnancy-related hypertension at 1.3 times the rate of white women, are disproportionately impacted.

The Effects Took Time to Materialize, Highlighting an Important Insight

The health benefits were not evident right away following a wage increase. The most significant effects became apparent two to four years later, indicating that the implications run deeper than merely affording a medical visit during pregnancy. What appears to be crucial is the health of women prior to conception, the physical state they are in before pregnancy begins.

Chronic financial pressure impacts the cardiovascular system negatively. This phenomenon is termed allostatic load, the cumulative impact of ongoing hardship on the body. It raises blood pressure, disturbs sleep patterns, and makes it more difficult to maintain a proper diet or manage existing health issues. A modest wage increase could allow for fresh produce rather than processed foods, or provide the leeway to adhere to blood pressure medications. It could lead to fewer missed prenatal vitamins, or alleviated stress related to rent payments. Over time, these minor benefits accumulate significantly. The body keeps a record.

“Social determinants of health significantly influence individuals’ well-being throughout their lives, including during pregnancy,” stated Slawa Rokicki, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

The researchers accounted for other assistance programs, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Medicaid expansion. The wage effect was consistent across various statistical analyses, although results concerning maternal hemorrhage were less definitive.

A Policy Shortcoming

Currently, twenty states maintain their minimum wage at the federal baseline of $7.25 per hour, a figure that has not changed since 2009. When adjusted for inflation, it holds less purchasing power today than it did in the 1960s. Women are more frequently found in minimum wage positions than men, placing them directly in the line of any health repercussions linked to stagnant wages. Moreover, due to the disproportionate representation of women of color in these jobs, wage policy intersects with the ongoing racial disparities in maternal mortality rates.

“The federal minimum wage has not been adjusted since 2009; it’s a wage that keeps people in poverty,” Rokicki remarked. “Raising the minimum wage will have substantial effects on people’s lives; the evidence on this is undeniable. Our research also indicates significant effects on health during pregnancy.”

The study does not specify which women gained the most benefit, as it used state-level data instead of individual health records. Subsequent research utilizing personal data could clarify whether increases in wages help to reduce the inequalities that currently put Black mothers at the highest risk. However, the extensive nature of the analysis, encompassing all states over a period of 28 years, strongly suggests that a significant phenomenon is occurring. When policymakers discuss the minimum wage, they often focus on household finances and business expenses. They might also reflect on how decisions made in legislative sessions years prior can influence a woman’s blood pressure during her pregnancy.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.108156