Listen to the Whispers before They Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States

Njoku, Anuli; Evans, Marian; Nimo-Sefah, Lillian; Bailey, Jonell

doi:10.3390/healthcare11030438

Cited by 36 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Notably, doula support is associated with higher levels of respectful care in hospital settings, particularly for individuals who are Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or insured by Medicaid (Mallick et al, 2022 ). This finding is particularly important given that Black women, who are disproportionately impacted by maternal mortality and morbidity, face structural racism and implicit bias in pregnancy-related care (Crear-Perry et al, 2021 ; Njoku et al, 2023 ).…”

Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Building Capacity for Research on Community Doula Care: A Stakeholder-Engaged Process in California

Marshall,

Nguyen,

Arteaga

et al. 2024

Matern Child Health J

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Purpose In an effort to address persistent inequities in maternal and infant health, policymakers and advocates have pushed to expand access to doula care. Several states, including California, now cover doula services through Medicaid. As coverage expands, research on the impact of doula care will likely increase. To develop best practices for research, it is critical to engage community doulas, clients, and other key stakeholders. Description Our overarching goal was to build capacity for future doula- and client-centered research on community doula care. First, we established a Steering Committee with members from seven relevant stakeholder groups: community doulas, former or potential doula clients, clinicians, payers, advocates, researchers, and public health professionals. Second, we conducted a needs assessment to identify and understand stakeholders’ needs and values for research on community doula care. Findings from the needs assessment informed our third step, conducting a research prioritization to develop a shared research agenda related to community doula care with the Steering Committee. We adapted the Research Prioritization by Affected Communities protocol to guide this process, which resulted in a final list of 21 priority research questions. Lastly, we offered a training to increase capacity among community doulas to engage in research on community doula care. Assessment Our findings provide direction for those interested in conducting research on doula care, as well as policymakers and funders. Conclusion The findings of our stakeholder-engaged process provide a roadmap that will lead to equity-oriented research centering clients, doulas, and their communities.

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Section: Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Building Capacity for Research on Community Doula Care: A Stakeholder-Engaged Process in California

Marshall,

Nguyen,

Arteaga

et al. 2024

Matern Child Health J

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“…7 Some contributing factors for BIPOC women experiencing higher pregnancy-related deaths and complications come from the social and economic conditions created by racism, discrimination, and chronic stress. 6,8 Medical professionals often fail to acknowledge the pain they experience due to discriminatory biases and myths. 3,9 Furthermore, BIPOC women experience a lack of autonomy and voice in pregnancy when utilizing the healthcare system.…”

Section: Addressing Maternal Health Disparities Among Bipoc Women Wit...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating Nutrition Inequities

Scott,

Qamar

2024

Journal of Perinatal &Amp; Neonatal Nursing

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Introduction: The proposal to administer cuts for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could create deficiencies in nutrition for already food insecure, low-income Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) pregnant, postpartum women, and children. WIC is a US Department of Agriculturefunded nutritional program for women, infants, and children. The current proposal is to cut the funding by $800 million for the 2024 fiscal year, affecting 75% of its low-income recipients and predominantly BIPOC. Methods: Relevant websites and journal articles were analyzed to determine how the proposed cuts would create barriers within the social determinants of health that contribute to disparities in health outcomes of WIC recipients. Results: Many studies have demonstrated that nutrition in the first 1000 days is critical for the healthy development of newborns. Prior research suggests that maternal health outcomes for BIPOC populations are contingent upon the increased allocation of nutritional support programs such as WIC and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Nutrients provided by the cash benefit voucher have been proven to contribute to participants' health outcomes, and allotment increases can benefit maternal and infant health outcomes. Conclusion and future directions: Neonatal nurses can help advocate for more robust policies that support the health of their patients. Future directions call for systematic changes in policies and legislation that directly affect maternal health outcomes, supportive breastfeeding policies, and applied research on solutions to improve maternal health outcomes of BIPOC populations in addition to increased awareness, education, and implementation of VeggieRx programs, investment in affordable, sustainable grassroots urban agriculture solutions.

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Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Black women have a higher rate of mortality and morbidity during pregnancy than women of other racial and ethnic groups 1. Moreover, during the perinatal period, African American women experience more trauma, socioeconomic inequity, stress and less access to healthcare and social support 1. There is also growing literature showing that black women experience a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy compared with white women 2.…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%