Pregnancy is a joyous time to celebrate new life.
Little lives growing. Families expanding. Everyone getting excited to meet the new addition.
However, during this exciting period for expecting families, many Black women face an uphill battle in terms of their own health and that of their child.
The US has some of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed countries and more than 60% of pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable.
Data trends also show Black moms are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, regardless of race, education, or income levels.
Understanding the disparity Black mothers face in terms of care and maternal health is the first step to closing this gap and working toward the goal of safe pregnancies for all families.
What are some factors that contribute to the disparity in Black maternal healthcare?
What is being done to combat the gap in Black maternal healthcare?
While there is still a lot of progress to be made, this cause has caught the attention of both advocates and organizations.
Government organizations and companies alike have taken great strides in advocating for Black women's health and "building a healthcare system that is equitable and safe for Black families."
Even Pampers has reinforced its dedication to Black maternal health by committing $250,000 over the next 12 months to help change the systemic issues that prevent Black moms from receiving equitable care.
This commitment includes a partnership with the National Birth Equity Collaborative, one of the nation’s leading advocates for change in the Black maternal health crisis that is actively working to reduce maternal mortality, and builds on the work Pampers has already done over the past year, including:
- Investing over $1 million dollars in educational resources to enable equitable care for parents before, during, and after birth.
- Training more than 800 maternal healthcare staff in partnership with March of Dimes to address implicit bias through its accredited training “Awareness to Action: Dismantling Bias in Maternal and Infant Healthcare.”
- Sponsorship of the fifth annual Black Maternal Health Week, founded and led by Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
- Curating resources like a nine-part childbirth education series led by clinical experts, to empower and equip parents with valuable information.
Pampers even worked in partnership with Queen Collective and director Haimy Assefa to produce a documentary on the realities of giving birth as a Black mom in America.
What can I do on a personal level?
After seeing all the great work and knowing there's still more to be done, of course you'd want to dive in headfirst. Here are just a few things you can do:
- Establish yourself in a social support system for any expecting Black women in your life before, during, and after their pregnancy.
- Advocate on a local level in your community to identify and address social factors impacting Black maternal health such as unstable housing, transportation access, food insecurity, substance use, violence, and racial and economic inequality.
- Educate yourself (and others)! Always keep your eyes peeled, ears listening, and heart open. Take every opportunity to learn more about how you can be a resource and bring awareness to Black maternal healthcare.
- Support organizations that are working to raise the quality of care for black women. An easy way to do that now is to join Pampers in raising the quality of care to deliver more joy. For the month of June, for every share of Pampers #RaiseCareDeliverJoy video, Pampers will donate an additional dollar to the National Birth Equity Collaborative to help drive systemic change so that every parent can live to experience the full joy of pregnancy and beyond.