Healthier Together: Black Maternal Health Week

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Tuesday is the start of Black Maternal Health Week. Black mothers are four times more likely to die during childbirth than white mothers. In this week's Healthier Together, we hear about ways to improve outcomes for Black moms.

"According to the World Health Organization, high income countries like the US typically have a maternal death rate of about 12 per 100,000. Then, if you take a look at black moms in the US, we find the maternal death rate to be 55 per 100,000. So way higher and a huge problem, we really need to sound the alarm for this," said Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Executive Medical Director for Regence BlueShield in Washington and an OBGYN.

Black Maternal Health week was founded in 2018 by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

"There is no fundamental difference in the way our bodies work amongst the races. So when we see a difference in health outcomes, we have to really ask ourselves ‘why would that be?’ said Dr. Saint Clair. "There are lots of layers starting with certain kinds of societal factors and just the legacy of racism in America, and the way that that has been experienced by Black women. Then you add in some of those health problems with additional barriers, a greater rate of housing insecurity, food insecurity, some of the ways that our social safety nets we may fall through. And then there are other layers that are happening just within the health care space itself."

Dr. Saint Clair says conscious or unconscious biases can lead to differences in the way health care providers treat pregnant women.

"We know that Black moms when they're having health challenges or concerns are more likely to feel that their concerns are dismissed by their healthcare team," said Dr. Saint Clair. "And if you even look at the case of Serena Williams, a person who has kind of all of the resources at her disposal and also is well known, she too had a pretty significant pregnancy complication that could have been recognized earlier and potentially even avoided."

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Dr. Saint Clair says pregnant women should educate themselves and get familiar with tools and resources that are available.

"Part of that is understanding your own health, having clear communication with your healthcare team, talking early on about what to expect what your hopes and concerns are. And if you're feeling like your needs aren't being met, or your questions or concerns aren't being answered, really revisiting and coming back to them," she said. "If you take anything away from what we've talked about today, please know that this is a significant problem that requires urgent action and attention. And that there are ways we all can contribute and help whether that is bringing awareness, supporting the cause with our time energy resources, or within the health care system ourselves, taking time to look and see where we can affect change."

Click here to learn more from the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

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