A Terrible Price: New Life Shouldn’t Cost Any Mother Their Own

By Ellen Stang , MD, Founder and Executive Chairwoman, ProgenyHealth, LLC.

A special message from our Founder during Maternal Health Awareness Week

An epidemiologist . A world class Olympian . A former NFL cheerleader and health tech computer programmer .?

Shalon Irving. Tori Bowie. Krystal Anderson.?

On paper, these read like seemingly random profiles. But in reality, their stories are inextricably linked. What do these high-achieving women have in common, aside from how they each ascended to the peak of their careers? As it turns out, a lot. They were each highly educated. They were all Black women, excited about their futures as mothers. And they all died due to preventable complications from pregnancy.?

Their tragedies are our failures. An estimated four out of five pregnancy-related deaths are preventable—and this largely impacts Black birthing people, who are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than are white women. With additional measures in place, it is likely that Shalon, Tori, Krystal, and the thousands of others like them, would have had very different outcomes.

While one maternal death is too many, 1,205—the CDC’s count, as of 2021 —is absolutely tragic. One should not have to count themselves lucky to have an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. We need to do better by our Black mothers. Better pregnancy care and better protocols—and it all begins with better policies. That is why we March for Babies , let’s urge our lawmakers to make a change.?

March for Equal Access to Care

The data reflects what many Black women know to be true—they, along with their unborn children, are at greater risk for worse outcomes, regardless of income and education. Black women have a 60% higher chance of preeclampsia than white women, their babies are at a higher risk of preterm birth , and even when outspoken about their symptoms, are more likely to be ignored .

Driving these discrepancies are racist and implicit biases deeply entrenched within our healthcare system. From early medical breakthroughs to disparate health outcomes , the cumulative effect of weathering and the pervasive impact of social determinants of health , systemic racism and associated biases perpetuate inequities in maternal care.?

Good outcomes begin long before birth, and so policies that advance a more equitable health care system are necessary to improve care for Black mothers and their newborns. In rural and low-income areas, maternal care deserts are growing , which will only continue to exacerbate existing disparities, unless we intervene now. While one-fifth of the nation lives in rural areas , only 7% of OB-GYNs practice in them. Better access to health insurance, quality hospitals and top-tier maternal-fetal specialists, and labor and delivery units are necessary in order to address the Black maternal health crisis.

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus of 2023 is an ambitious package of proposed legislation aimed at tackling a full array of inequities that drive maternal health disparities, from SDOH to mental health and substance use disorders, leveraging tech-driven interventions, and more. This year, we must encourage the updated versions to be signed into law to continue to advance protections for our Black and other mothers of color.?

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March for Maternal Mental Health

After childbirth, women experience the single biggest hormone shift of their entire lives. Indeed, the fourth trimester is notorious for its “baby blues,” as the body recovers, and parents contend with a dearth of sleep while adjusting to the demands of a new baby. It is estimated that one in five new mothers experience some sort of maternal mental health condition—for Black women, that rate doubles to nearly 40% .

This is key to reversing our maternal outcomes. Mental health is the single largest factor in pregnancy-related deaths, as CDC data reveals nearly 23% of maternal mortalities were related to mental health disorders. There is a bright spot: postpartum screenings have been shown to help catch maternal depression, anxiety, and other issues early, and there is a new FDA-approved drug on the market designed to treat postpartum depression.?

In spite of this, Black women—who are at greatest risk to suffer from birth-related traumas and these postpartum complications—are the least likely to receive postpartum mental health care. In one study, Black women were half as likely as their white counterparts to initiate treatment, and of those who did, they had waited much longer to do so.

Research reveals that there may be hidden biases within the way we screen for postpartum depression. Standard screeners were created and informed by White participants, and may not be designed to detect cultural nuances of non-White women, or the way depressive symptoms present in Black women.?

We must advocate for universal screeners that are designed with cultural differences in mind, and account for a more diverse array of emotional and physical symptoms.?

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A Mother of A March

While these are just two of the many reasons I march, I encourage you to find yours . Perhaps it’s more personal—your own birth complication, a loved one with a near miss, or a friend whose delivery left them struggling as a new mother.?

While May 1st-7th is Maternal Mental Health Week, the dire maternal and infant health crisis necessitates our action and support all year long. By marching and making sure our voices are heard, we can help change the way we care for our expecting and new mothers. Change that improves the health of women before, during, and after pregnancy—and which establishes a new national storyline: happier birthing outcomes and healthier starts to life.

#ICYMI:??

The maternity journey isn’t just a physical challenge, but also a mental one. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a 24/7, free, confidential hotline for pregnant and new moms in English and Spanish. Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) for more information. #MMHWeek2024

Before You Go:

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