New Commission focuses on racial disparities in maternal health

BOSTON – Colored women are four to five times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, a statistic that has increased over the past few decades. The national maternal mortality rate has increased by 2.5% since 1987, with women of color being hardest hit.

These statistics were the focus of a public meeting of the Commission on Racial Inequality in Maternal Health last week to discuss the problems faced by black mothers in Massachusetts, particularly the treatment of black mothers during and after pregnancy. The meeting consisted of data submitted by the Ministry of Health and statements from black mothers and maternal health organizations.

The commission was launched earlier this year with the passage of a bill sponsored by MPs Kay Khan D-Newton and Liz Miranda D-Boston to provide guidance on reducing racial gaps in maternal health. The aim is to assess research and data on maternal health and the extent to which racism and other forms of discrimination affect black mothers.

“We need strategies that are cross-agency partnerships and advocacy to influence the social determinants of health, but we need to take the time to understand these structural issues so we can reduce the likelihood of unintended consequences of our actions,” said Dr. Hafsatou Diop from Das announced the Ministry of Health in the public meeting.

Because of the lack of adequate or effective maternal treatment for black mothers-to-be, their children suffer.

“That’s 300 black babies who die every year in the Commonwealth,” said Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley, D-Boston.

A new bill sponsored by Fluker Oakley would allow health officials to assemble fetal and infant mortality investigation teams to break down barriers to effective treatment and improve healthier births. About seven black babies per 1,000 live births die in Massachusetts, according to Peristats.

Melody Cunningham Lopez, a Boston mother of five, recalled her own experiences giving birth as a black woman in Massachusetts and citing none of them as positive as she was mistreated, such as non-consensual, by medical professionals during labor Episiotomies and being ignored while their baby is crowning.

Today, a doula, midwife, and lactation consultant herself, Cunningham Lopez still sees these issues affecting other black women.

“I’m on the other side and I’m still hearing it; the same stories but different black faces, ”said Cunningham Lopez. “I do this job and can speak and represent myself, but I’m still practically powerless …[and] It is so unfortunate that these things are so ingrained in these institutions. “

The death rate is higher in women of color due to poor access to prenatal health, so pregnancy complications are not detected early, according to Joanne Murray, executive director of Women’s Fund SouthCoast.

Recognizing these social determinants of health will create better preventive measures to address racial inequalities in maternal care, Diop said.

“Public health is dedicated to understanding these various factors and understanding policies in different sectors and how they maintain poor health outcomes,” Diop said.

For example, birthing centers are generally not located in communities with colored or lower-income families, as many white women belong in more affluent areas, according to Dananai Morgan, a Dorchester woman who is working on building a birthing center in her neighborhood.

“Birth centers in this country are built primarily through midwives’ personal savings and lines of credit,” said Nashira Baril of the Neighborhood Birth Center. “They are not sustainable and restrict access to midwives and access to wealth in a racist manner.”

Having a baby in a Massachusetts hospital can be costly, and since home births are typically not covered by insurance, options for black mothers are limited. Birth centers can reduce these costs and also provide better care, especially when run by women of color.

According to a study by the City University of New York, less than 2% of midwives in the country are black today, and only 13 of the country’s 400 birthing centers are POC-owned.

“Pregnancy is a matter of life or death,” said Ayesha Wilson, a member of the Cambridge School Committee. “Black women feel like they are arguing with doctors who say, ‘Hear me! Do you see me! I’m not a textbook example, I’m a real person. ‘”

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/10/02/new-commission-focuses-on-racial-disparities-in-maternal-health/