Key points:
  1. Lack of clarity in conceptualising the complex factors leading to inequities in maternal mortality may result in nihilism in clinical practice and research.
  2. Visualising the multiple disadvantages affecting marginalised mothers as layers of a “Swiss cheese” model may encourage individuals to intervene and improve outcomes.
  3. Social science research tools may help to interrogate the systemic biases leading to an increased risk of maternal mortality through a lens of intersectionality.