This week, January 23rd, marked Maternal Health Week. I recently learned that the US has the highest maternal mortality rate of all high-income nations and it’s a sobering realization. What’s more alarming is that this issue disproportionately impacts Black mothers. I want to raise awareness about the Black maternal health crisis, a persistent health and social issue.
According to the CDC’s pregnancy mortality surveillance system, Black women died at three times the rates of their white counterparts between 2016 to 2018. And these outcomes persisted across socioeconomic strata and levels access to healthcare. Given the years of data to document this phenomenon, clinicians and public health organizations are calling Black maternal health crisis a public health crisis.
Reading the stories of Shalon Irving, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kira Johnson, a devoted mother, who spoke five languages and had a wide range of adventurous interests, were absolutely devastating. Their stories echo frequent refrains: preventable deaths, ignored concerns, and devastating consequences. Even well-know women like Serena Williams and Elaine Welteroth recounted being ignored and dismissed by healthcare providers during pregnancy.
Whether bias, indifference, or ignorance is at the root of the medical care being provided to so many vulnerable women, my hope is that we can eliminate maternal mortality. As we learn more, we can educate others around us and ensure that families have language to advocate for themselves and that practitioners listen to the needs of all patients…especially those who are most vulnerable. America is Failing its Black Mothers by Harvard Public Health, is a great primer to educate yourself on this important topic.
