CannonDesign’s Post

The landscape of motherhood in the United States is changing. Many are opting out of motherhood altogether, or are focusing more on careers and other fulfilling parts of life that delay motherhood. While there is technology and medicine to support moms of all ages, proper care for older mothers is not equally shared across racial groups. Recent research shows that Black mothers are giving birth to very low-weight children (defined as being under 5.8 pounds) nearly twice as often as White mothers, with the gap in low birthweight increasing as maternal age increases. PHP Fellow Sean H. writes more about these findings here: https://lnkd.in/e7MjCmug

Imagine stepping into 2024, where technology and healthcare are advancing at lightning speed. Yet, despite all of the progress, Black women still find themselves increasingly fearful about pregnancy. This isn’t a new fear. Through a research project a few years back, I learned that while Black women were aware of their high maternal mortality rates, none of them understood why. (To make matters worse their doctors had bothered to educate them, heightening their fears.) In a nation that spends so much on healthcare, how did we get here? How did we reach this point where a woman, instead of being excited about a new chapter in her life, must move through it with fear about receiving equitable healthcare? *** From the Hill: “…Nearly 40 percent of Black women of reproductive age said they feel less safe and think about the risk of death if they become pregnant in the new poll from In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda with PerryUndem, published Monday… The fear is not unfounded… Studies show Black [women] who give birth are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts, while Black infants are two times more likely to die within their first year than white infants. Reasons for the disparities are nuanced, but many point to systemic racism in the health care system that dismisses Black women’s symptoms…” 🔗 Article: https://lnkd.in/eaMiMNUw 🎙️Podcast: https://lnkd.in/epAiUWxq

What do Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and current 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk all have in common? All were born at least two months prematurely. And yet between them, they have made discoveries or performed feats that stand them apart in human history. Our world would be poorer without them. Each of these men defied the odds when it came to their birth; when Newton was born on Christmas Day 1642, he weighed just three pounds. Thanks to medical advances, more and more premature babies are surviving, at younger and younger ages. Among them may be the next generation of men and women who will transform our world in some way. The record for the most premature baby to survive lies with Curtis Means who was born at 21 weeks and one day in Birmingham, Alabama in November 2021. In my own constituency of Eastbourne, adorable twins Rocco and Franco were born at 23 weeks and 6 days gestation. These little fighters are thriving, having recently celebrated their second birthday. In the decade to 2019 alone, the survival rate in the UK for extremely premature babies born at 23 weeks doubled, prompting new guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) that enables doctors to intervene to save premature babies from 22 weeks gestation. This is news to be celebrated, itself a feat of medical progress that has transformed countless lives. And yet, it leaves a contradiction in how we in the UK regard babies at this gestation. Unlike our closest European neighbours, the UK’s upper time limit for abortion of 24 weeks remains beyond the gestational age at which many babies now survive. Over 45 MPs, led by Caroline Ansell MP, have come together to table an amendment to the Government’s flagship Criminal Justice Bill to lower the abortion time limit from 24 weeks to 22 weeks.

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Celebrating day 2 of the 7th Annual Black Maternal Health Week established first by Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Our #BMHW24 theme is: “Our Bodies Still Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” Take time to learn more about community informed models of perinatal health care that operationalize the praxis of #ReproJustice. Let’s be open to interrogating physician centered and led models of care that reinforce subjugation and harm of Black birthing individuals and communities. As an dissident and recovering Southern Black woman OBGYN, I reconcile daily with contemporary oppressive ideologies and praxes of sexual, reproductive and perinatal health care provision in the U.S. that originated in chattel slavery and extended into the antebellum era. Unfortunately, the past is here in the present shaping our future unless we #Resist and #Refuse to go backwards. Take action today and be curious, critical, compassionate, courageous and creative. Stand in solidarity with us as we commit to applying #ReproJustice in all that we do!! Abstract Perinatal health outcomes in the United States continue to worsen, with the greatest burden of inequity falling on Black birthing communities. Despite transdisciplinary literature citing structural racism as a root cause of inequity, interventions continue to be mostly physician-centered models of perinatal and reproductive healthcare (PRH). These models prioritize individual, biomedical risk identification and stratification as solutions to achieving equity, without adequately addressing the social and structural determinants of health. The objective of this review is to: (1) examine the association between the impact of structural and obstetric racism and patient-centered access to PRH, (2) define and apply reproductive justice (RJ) as a framework to combat structural and obstetric racism in PRH, and (3) describe and demonstrate how to use an RJ lens to critically analyze physician-led and community-informed PRH models. We conclude with recommendations for building a PRH workforce whose capacity is aligned with racial equity. Institutional alignment with a RJ praxis creates opportunities for advancing PRH workforce diversification and development and improving PRH experiences and outcomes for our patients, communities, and workforce. Click on the link below to read our 2020 open access publication: https://lnkd.in/eGB-SdUD

It's easy to want to remain in denial about America's maternal mortality crisis, but the truth is we just can't afford to anymore. More women die giving birth in America than in any other industrialized nation but race plays a major role in driving these statistics. In my book, #ThePainGap, I examine both how and why. Have a look at some of these numbers: 🤰🏽Women of color are currently two to three times more likely to die giving birth in America, but it is Black women who are paying the highest price. 🤰🏽Studies show that they are 243 (!) percent more likely to die than their white counterparts. They have a death rate of 40.8 per 100,000 births, while white birthing people have a rate of 14.7 per 100,000. 🤰🏽Black women are also more likely than Asian or Latina women to die from pregnancy-related complications regardless of their education or income. 🤰🏽A 2016 analysis of five years of data found that Black, college-educated mothers who gave birth in local hospitals were *more* likely to suffer severe complications during pregnancy or childbirth than white women who never graduated from high school. The vast majority of these deaths are needless and preventable. No woman should die giving birth anywhere, especially not in the world's richest democracy. Check out this latest piece from the The New York Times. Were you aware of how dangerous it is to deliver a baby as a woman of color in America?

Learn about groups dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes for Black women. Partnerships and collaborations are essential. https://lnkd.in/gZsim4et

Professor Method Tuuli tells Providence Business News that Black women in the U.S. experience a staggering two- to three-fold higher risk of pregnancy-related mortality compared to their white counterparts. Structural racism, limited access to quality maternity care, and biases within healthcare systems contribute to this alarming disparity. "The challenges in maternal health faced by Black women have been long-standing. However, it has become more prominent in the public domain in recent years," he says. But there's hope on the horizon. Dr. Tuuli emphasizes the importance of multipronged approaches to tackle these challenges head-on: 1️⃣ Designing patient-centered maternity care. 2️⃣ Addressing systemic racism and biases in healthcare. 3️⃣ Combatting adverse social determinants of health. 4️⃣ Advocating for policy changes like paid maternity leave. With the Black Mamas Matter Alliance we aim to raise awareness of the experiences of Black mothers. Let's work together to ensure reproductive justice for all: #BlackMaternalHealthWeek #ReproductiveJustice #HealthEquity #BMHW2024

Amna Nawaz, a co-anchor of PBS NewsHour, has reported on a serious issue affecting American women during childbirth. Many women are dying due to pregnancy complications, and this is especially true for Black American women who are three times more likely to experience these problems. Nawaz interviewed doctors and patients to understand why this is happening and how people are working to make pregnancies safer. Doee Kitessa, MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist, is working to improve care for Black women during pregnancy. She explains that historical issues like redlining have led to inequalities in education, housing, and income, which in turn affect the quality of prenatal and postpartum care that Black women receive. Many Black women feel that their concerns are not heard by healthcare providers, leading to potentially dangerous situations. For example, Krystle Carter Word struggled to get doctors to address her concerns, and this affected her ability to conceive. She later found a doctor who took her concerns seriously and helped her have a successful pregnancy. Despite growing awareness of these issues, the number of Black women dying during childbirth has increased. Experts point out that systemic factors like racism and biases in the healthcare system contribute to these problems. Amna Nawaz also highlights that recent changes in laws could worsen the situation for women at risk. However, there are people like Dr. Kitessa who are determined to bring about change and provide better care for all women, regardless of their background. Krystle Carter Word, who has successfully navigated these challenges, now enjoys the journey of motherhood while acknowledging the importance of proper care. #MaternalMortality #BlackWomenHealth #PregnancySafety #HealthcareDisparities #RacialBias #HealthcareAdvocacy https://lnkd.in/gzWPCAEw

🖤 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 - 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟭-𝟭𝟳 🖤 During Black Maternal Health Week, we reflect on the challenges faced by Black families during what should be a joyous time. Founded in 2018 by BMMA, this week aims to raise awareness, foster activism, and build community support to amplify the voices of Black Mamas and prioritize reproductive and birth justice values. Black birthing individuals often encounter life-threatening conditions such as preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and blood clots, along with higher rates of pregnancy-related complications like preterm birth and low birth weight. Health conditions like chronic heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes disproportionately impact Black mothers, contributing to their increased risk of maternal mortality. Let's come together to advocate for equitable healthcare access, address disparities in maternal health outcomes, and support Black Mamas during this important week of reflection and action. #BlackMaternalHealthWeek #ReproductiveJustice #MaternalHealthEquity #BMMA #BlackMamasMatter #HealthDisparities #MaternalMortality #CommunitySupport #PregnancyComplications #Advocacy #SCABPharmacy 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. 🤰🌟

April is a busy month, and with so many awareness days, weeks, and months, it's essential to stay informed, equipped, and ready for action. In this country, we need action, doers, funders, and policies to eliminate systemic barriers to achieving health equity and eliminating health disparities. This year, April 11-17, 2024, marks Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW). Founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA) in 2018, BMHW is a national week of awareness, activism, and community building. It aims to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US, amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions, and center the voices of Black Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders. BMHW also provides a national platform for Black-led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth, and reproductive justice while enhancing community organizing on Black maternal health. Learn more about BMHW here: blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw. In the comments, I'll post an article from Essence Communications Inc. with a list of groups dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes for Black women. If you're in Chicago, like me, there are lots of events and activities happening. I encourage you to participate in this week and learn more about Black maternal health. I hope to see you outside! #BlackMaternalHealthWeek #BMHW #BlackMamasMatter #NationalMinorityHealthMonth #NMHM #HealthEquity #HealthEquityonLinkedIn #Doulas #BirthingCenters #Medicaid