Black Maternal Health

“Black Women in our country are facing a Maternal Health Crisis.” This statement could have been a headline across any newspaper in the country (hopefully this is not news to anyone as Black women have been suffering for decades), however these are the words of Vice president Kamala Harris. On Tuesday April 13, the White House issued its first-ever presidential proclamation marking Black Maternal Health Week, bringing awareness to the decades-long problem of Black women having a significantly higher number of pregnancy-related complications including a 3 times higher rate of death in Black women compared to White women. Joined by obstetrics and gynecology experts Dr. Marvelle Maloney and Dr. Praise Augustus, we discussed the health challenges faced by black mothers in the United States, the significance of systemic racism and oppression its role in the disparities of pregnancy-related deaths and poor outcomes. Finally, we discuss tips and strategies that Black women can employ to increase their chances of having complication-free pregnancies and births. Please check out the resources below to learn more and as we always ask, whatever you learn on this show, please share it with anyone that will listen!   The White House: A Proclamation on Black Maternal Health Week, 2021 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/13/a-proclamation-on-black-maternal-health-week-2021/   Black Mamas Matter Alliance https://blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw/   National Partnership for Women & Families https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/health/reports/black-womens-maternal-health.html   Centers for Disease Control and prevention: Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.html