Crisis to Care: 5 Charts on Black Maternal Health Progress
Close-up of a loving mother holding her adorable little baby boy in her arms at home. Credit: Goodbye Picture Company via Getty Images.
It’s Black Maternal Health Week. Here’s five areas the U.S. health system is improving in its care for Black birthing people.
By Anissa Durham
The statistics are grim — and tragically familiar: Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. And systemic racism, gaps in healthcare access, and the toll of stress and chronic disease all play a part in the health of a birthing person and baby.
But the data also shows something else: there are improvements being made in maternal health care. With the expansion of certified midwives, doulas, and prenatal care, more and more birthing people can access proper care. And many advocates and health care providers are working to improve the quality of maternal health care Black birthing people receive.
“When birthing people are supported, they’re having better outcomes, more likely to initiate breastfeeding, recover more smoothly, and feel empowered in their role as a parent. Babies benefit too, from fewer complications due to having less interventions,” says LaToshia Rouse, a North Carolina-based birth and postpartum doula. Rouse founded Birth Sisters Doula Services, a prenatal, labor, and postpartum support organization. “Every Black family deserves that kind of support from someone who truly understands them and is there to hold space and create calm in the environment.”
These five charts show the expansion and improvements of maternal health care and its impact on Black birthing people.
Uninsured women have a harder time getting the health care they need before, during, and after pregnancy compared to insured women, and this can negatively impact their health and the health of their babies, according to the March of Dimes.
Government programs like Medicaid have helped curb the rate of uninsured women and children, so they can access necessary health services. Within a 10-year span the rate of uninsured women, between the ages of 15-44, dropped from 21% to 11%.
Doula Services
Doulas provide physical and emotional support during pregnancy and childbirth. Having a doula leads toimproved outcomes for Black moms and babies, with a higher percentage of full-term births, fewer C-sections, and lower rates of postpartum depression. Black doulas can be found through the National Black Doula Association, and more and more U.S hospitals are also offering doula services.
“Black families can go to the same hospitals with the same medical team and receive different outcomes from other races. It makes no sense,” says Rouse. “But beyond the data, we help families feel seen, heard, and cared for. For Black birthing people who are navigating a healthcare system where bias and disparities still exist, a doula can be a powerful coach who helps you prepare and guide you through birth and who stands by your side during critical moments.”
Prenatal Care
Prenatal care services typically include screening and treatment of medical conditions for both moms and babies and interventions for behavioral risk factors associated with poor birth outcomes. It’s more effective when started early in a pregnancy and continued consistently.
White women and Asian and Pacific Islander women report the highest rate of early prenatal care access. Just under 68% of Black women and 70% of Hispanic women report being able to access early prenatal care.
Certified Midwives
Certified midwives are health care providers who support pregnant people before, during, and after birth. They typically work alongside OBGYNs in a hospital. Birthing people who use midwives report lower rates of cesarean sections, less medical intervention like labor induction, and greater satisfaction.
Currently, certified midwife services in U.S. hospitals vary across each state. In Washington, Utah, and New Hampshire, more than 80% of hospitals have certified midwives. But in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Arkansas less than 20% of hospitals have certified midwives, highlighting the growing need for expansion.
Lactation Consultations
Breastfeeding has been linked with a lower risk of maternal death. Lactation support helps birthing people correctly position and latch their baby for breastfeeding. And these consultations offer information about milk production, engorgement, and breast pumping.
Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies and can protect babies from short term or long-term illnesses. As a result, most U.S. hospitals offer lactation consultation.