BLACK NEWBORNS MORE LIKELY TO DIE WHEN LOOKED AFTER BY WHITE DOCTORS. The mortality rate of Black newborns in hospital shrunk by between 39% and 58% when Black physicians took charge of the birth, according to the research, which laid bare how shocking racial disparities in human health can affect even the first hours of a person’s life. By contrast, the mortality rate for White babies was largely unaffected by the doctor’s race.