Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/series/healthy-births-healthy-moms-black-maternal-health-in-america/page/2/)
Through reporting and writing by Women’s eNews’ team, we have uncovered the central fact that extremely little research is available that would explain “why black moms die more often.”
African American families experience the death of a new mother three to four times more often than white families. Public health experts estimate that half of these deaths are avoidable and the ratio has not changed since the 1940s. At the same time, African American mothers’ rates of breastfeeding remain relatively low, a missed opportunity to improve the health of mothers and infants. This series explores how the health system influences what is termed “health disparities.”
This series is made possible with support from the Kellogg Foundation.
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About half of all U.S. births are covered by Medicaid, which means decisions about delivery practices under this part of the Affordable Care Act could ripple far and wide. The American College of Nurse Midwives is assessing all 277 marketplace plans.
A breastfeeding association has released a new video, joining several efforts over the past few years to raise the volume on the hindrances to breastfeeding in the black community nationwide.
The data for U.S. childbirth deaths has not been published since 2007 due to states’ failure to revise their death certificates. Better reporting is needed to stop the “hidden tragedy of maternal deaths” says an executive with the March of Dimes.
Undercutting the American Academy of Pediatrics’ stance on promoting breastfeeding, an infant-formula maker’s bag, given by hospitals for free to new mothers, is emblazoned with the academy’s logo inside and out.
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On Nov. 13 Rita Henley Jensen, Women’s eNews’ founder and editor in chief, appeared at the New York City Government Committee on Health hearing to share our findings on New York City’s high maternal mortality rates. This is a copy of her testimony.