New Support For Black Mothers In Delaware Valley

In Philadelphia, Black women account for 43% of births from 2013 to 2018, yet make up 73% of the pregnancy-related deaths, a new report by the Philadelphia Maternal Mortality Review Committee has found. Indeed, Black women across the country face dangerous and potentially life-threatening healthcare discrepancies that must be addressed. That’s why the White House

Has issued its first-ever presidential proclamation marking Black Maternal Health Week as part of wider efforts to highlight and fix alarming racial differences in pregnancy and childbirth-related complications and deaths in the US.

Stark disparities

“We’re not a developing country and we have access to the best medical care. But the question is, does everyone have access to the best medical care?”, said Dr. Elena McDonald. Activists are highlighting the challenges even wealthy celebrities experienced during childbirth, including the likes of Serena Williams, Beyoncé, and New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, who’s now dedicated her life to tackling the inequality. “It doesn’t matter your socioeconomic status, it doesn’t matter your educational attainment,” said Shane Derby, founder of Black Mothers in Power.

 

Medical negligence

In New Jersey, Black women are seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, while Black babies are three times more likely to die before their first birthdays than white babies. In the wider US, Black women are 2.5 times more likely to die from complications during pregnancy than white women. “This is due to racism, it’s centuries of racism and implicit bias,” Murphy said. Moreover, one in every 33 babies in the US is born with a birth injury every year — often as the result of medical negligence. For example, cerebral palsy is a common childhood motor disorder, ultimately caused by damage to the brain. Ignoring fetal heart warnings, failure to perform a timely C-section, and improper use of forceps are some of the most common causes of cerebral palsy. In such cases, a cerebral palsy lawsuit can help families secure financial compensation to cover the cost of lifelong medical bills.

 

Expanding Medicaid coverage

To improve maternal mortality rates and healthcare for Black women, New Jersey’s Medicaid coverage is being expanded to 365 days postpartum. This involves amending the state’s Reproductive Health Care Fund to create a doula registry and support undocumented women. A new program providing housing to eligible pregnant women will also be created.

“The plan’s goal itself is to reduce maternal mortality rates by 50% over five years,” Murphy said about the new coverage. “We are going to make our state the safest and most equitable state to deliver and raise a baby”.