Tagged With "Black Women"
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134 pregnant women in L.A. tested positive for coronavirus, but none of their babies (LA Times)
By Colleen Shalby, May 11, 2020, LA Times Staff Writer. COVID-19 has hit all walks of life in Los Angeles County, from wealthy enclaves to working-class neighborhoods, as well as prisons and nursing homes. Officials have warned that the most vulnerable individuals to developing serious effects from the novel coronavirus include women who are pregnant. But little is known about how pregnant women have fared since the pandemic began, as their numbers are not typically broken out in overall...
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A Chaotic Week for Pregnant Women in New York City (The New Yorker)
By Emily Bobrow, April 1, 2020, for The New Yorker Early on Sunday, March 22nd, Lauren Pelz got a text from a friend who’d heard that the NewYork-Presbyterian (N.Y.P.) hospital network had decided to bar partners from accompanying women in labor, due to concerns about the spread of covid -19 . It was the day before Pelz was scheduled to be induced to deliver her second child at N.Y.P. Lower Manhattan Hospital. She searched the hospital’s Web site and Twitter feed for news about the change in...
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A community-based approach to supporting substance exposed newborns and their families
This information brief highlights a community-based approach to supporting families and newborns affected by substance use. MA EfC developed this brief to address the profound intersection between the Massachusetts opioid crisis, Federal mandates for the development of Plans of Safe Care for substance exposed newborns, and, the MA EfC focus on increasing social connectedness as a means to reduce child maltreatment.
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A staggering one-in-three women experience physical, sexual abuse [un.org]
24 November 2019, UN News Here is the grim reality, in numbers: A third of all women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, half of women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family, and violence perpetrated against women is as common a cause of death and incapacity for those of reproductive age, as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than road accidents and malaria combined. The prevalence of the issue, “means someone around you. A family...
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All hands on deck (from a distance): remote care for traumatized moms and babies
Dear colleague, Coronavirus is forcing providers and allied professionals serving mothers and babies to make unprecedented decisions. Should pregnant women needing care go through our hospital quarantine entrance? Should moms deliver without partners, family or doulas present? Be sent home early before key screenings or jaundice treatment are completed? To make matters worse, our systems aren't ready for basic remote care of mothers and infants now "socially distanced". Prenatal, post-partum...
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AMAR Doula Program Celebrates Its First Graduating Class (The Burke Foundation)
Community Updates, December 19, 2019 With the support of the Burke Foundation, in early 2019 the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey (CHSofNJ) launched AMAR, a community-based doula program , to improve prenatal, labor, and postpartum support for Hispanic women in the City of Trenton. Now, the organization is thrilled to see the first group of trainees graduate from the program. New Jersey has the fifth highest maternal mortality rate in the country. To address this significant challenge...
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Birth Equity Resources [CMQCC]
The resources listed below can be on THIS WEBSITE Copied from the website linked above: The following list of resources has been aggregated for those interested in learning more about birth equity . We strongly recommend reading multiple resources to get a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity and breadth of this initiative. We will be highlighting a new set of “top three” publications quarterly to encourage continued learning. Featured Publications: The US medical system is...
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California Birth Equity Collaborative Improving Care for, by and with Black Mothers [CMQCC]
The California Birth Equity Collaborative is a CMQCC quality improvement initiative to improve birth care, experiences and outcomes for, by and with Black mothers and birthing people in California . Our team is comprised of partnerships among: CMQCC Black/Black women-led community-based organizations (CBOs) Participating hospitals State/national and local advisory groups Background: Since 1999, the reported maternal mortality data in California show a persistent 3-4x gap between Black...
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Childbirth Can be Another Source of Trauma for Women Who Were Abused [irishtimes.com]
By Arlene Harris, The Irish Times, February 7, 2020 While it may be an innate and mainly joyful event, many pregnant women feel anxious at the thought of going through labour and can suffer emotional and physical distress during the delivery itself. And there is one group of women for whom there is an extra level of trauma associated with the arrival of their unborn child – those who have been victims of sexual assault. Hazel Larkin is a sexual abuse survivor and over the coming months will...
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Consequences of Military Sexual Trauma for Perinatal Mental Health: How Do We Improve Care for Pregnant Veterans with a History of Sexual Trauma?
Sharing our recent editorial which includes a call for TIC in maternity care: "Nevertheless, there are ways in which VA may be able to augment the maternity care pregnant veterans receive to empower and facilitate more trauma-informed approaches to obstetric care. These include investing in programs to ensure peer support, possibly through use of mobile health technology; facilitating collaboration with maternity care providers through provision of handheld/electronic maternity records...
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Fearing Coronavirus, Many Rural Black Women Avoid Hospitals to Give Birth at Home (PEW TRUST)
By April Simpson, April 18, 2020, PEW Trust Black women are two to three times more likely to die from causes related to pregnancy than white women, regardless of income or education. Black midwives could be part of the solution, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, but restrictions on midwifery make it difficult to practice in many states. Pregnant women in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi have been calling nonstop to CHOICES Midwifery Practice in Memphis, but the center is...
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Focus on Equity, Literacy, and Advocacy Needed to Curb Maternal Deaths among Black Women [Newswire]
AmeriHealth Caritas addresses national maternal health disparities that see black mothers three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The United States has the highest gross domestic product and one of the highest standards of living in the world, 1 yet its maternal mortality rate is one of only 13 in the world that is higher than it was 25 years ago. 2 The numbers are worse among black women in America, who are...
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Intimate Partner Violence Screening and Intervention: The American College of Preventive Medicine Position Statement (Abstract) [sciencedirect.com]
By Tanya M. Phares, Kevin Sherin, Suzanne Leonard Harrison, et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine, December 2019 The purpose of this paper is to produce a position statement on intimate partner violence (IPV), a major sociomedical problem with recently updated evidence, systematic reviews, and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. This position statement is a nonsystematic, rapid literature review on IPV incidence and prevalence, health consequences, diagnosis and...
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New ROOTS, Beyond Medicalization: Midwives and Maternity Care in America (Jewish Healthcare Foundation)
By Alyce Palko, April 30, 2020, Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Introducing the Jewish Healthcare Foundation's new ROOTS publication, Beyond Medicalization: Midwives and Maternity Care in America . Under the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is rapidly moving into a new era of healthcare delivery. Across the country, maternal healthcare policies are changing daily in order to ensure birthing families have access to safe care. Hospitals are making rapid decisions about whether birthing...
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Opinion: To End Intimate Partner Violence, We Must Focus on Racial Justice and Healing [calhealthreport.org]
By Marc Philpart and Jacquie Marroquin, California Health Report, November 13, 2019 Like millions of Californians, the crisis of intimate partner violence has had a profound impact on our lives. The violence our family members experienced has created a ripple effect, setting us each on a unique journey for healing—as individuals, as families and as a community. While our journeys have been distinct, they have led to a similar understanding: Ending domestic violence is possible, but only if...
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Rwanda's Plan to Reduce Poverty by Harnessing Father's Love [qz.com]
By Annabelle Timsit, Quartz Africa, October 8, 2019 Like many three-and-a-half year olds, Odille Igirimbabazi loves to sing and dance. On a recent morning in her home, wearing her favorite blue and yellow dress and clutching a doll that her dad, James, made for her, she sings religious songs and sways energetically as James watches, claps, and smiles, tapping his feet. When she finishes, he scoops her up into his arms to tell her how proud he is. “Bravo!” If this seems a common family scene,...
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The Benefits of Paid Maternity Leave for Maternal and Child Health (Psychology Today)
By Richa Bhatia, MD, March 11, 2020, Psychology Today New research reviews the benefits of maternity leave. About 23 percent of employed women in the U.S. return to work within 10 days of giving birth. An evidence-based review published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry earlier this week, which was authored by my team and I, shows that paid maternity leave is linked with significant physical and mental health benefits for mothers as well as their children. [ Please click here to read the...
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The First Body-Positive Children’s Book Just Came Out, and It’s Exactly What the World Needs Now (msn.com)
Chances are, if you’ve taken a stroll through the children’s-book section of bookstores or libraries recently, you’ve seen a lot of bright colors and catchy titles. You saw some good lessons on friendship and manners, some lively adventure stories and some cute animals. You also saw a lot of pictures of straight-size white girls. While children’s literature now features far more diverse stories than it did even a couple of years ago, there is still one movement that hasn’t gotten a foothold...
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'They Took My Kid': Rural Docs Help Moms Fight Addiction [medpagetoday.com]
By Ashley Lyles, MedPage Today, November 19, 2019 Patient: I'd gotten pregnant again and I was using through my whole pregnancy, and I didn't receive prenatal care. He was born and he's fine and everything. The [Department of Social Services] let me bring him home. Then a week after I had him, I relapsed really, really bad. Then, I got really messed up and they took my kid. Reporter: The opioid epidemic has taken a toll in rural areas, especially on pregnant women. Doctors and healthcare...
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UNDOING HARM: plastic surgeons tackle reconstruction for circumcised women [Sarasota Herald Tribune]
She called it her “deepest, darkest secret,” one she had never even shared with her husband. When Saffiatu Sillah was growing up in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, a ritual circumcision left her with scar tissue that caused pain with pain during sex and agony during childbirth. After her second child was born, Sillah, a pharmacist then living in Philadelphia, searched for medical help. To read the full article, written by Pam Belluck and Maddie McGarvey of the NYT, click click HERE
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When the trauma of a difficult birth leaves mothers devastated, alone (centerforhealthjournalism.org)
While there has been extensive media coverage looking at the health risks faced by mothers before and after they gave birth, as well as the heavy toll of postpartum depression. But less remarked is the emotional trauma and devastation that mothers can face from a difficult labor and delivery. These kinds of birth-related traumas may be far more common than realized: 18 percent of mothers report experiencing post-traumatic symptoms from childbirth, according to one estimate from the 2008...
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Why reducing a pregnant woman’s toxic stress can improve the health of her unborn child
PBS NEWSHOUR: Researchers are trying to better understand the biology of stress and its impact on child health. Now, data suggests those connections may form as early as the womb, with studies indicating frequent and prolonged adversity for pregnant women can affect the development of their babies. Stephanie Sy reports on a program aimed at easing the stress and struggles of mothers and their unborn children. ...
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Women Giving Birth in Low-Income Countries Often Endure Abuse [reuters.com]
By Linda Carroll, Reuters, October 22, 2019 Women are often mistreated during labor and delivery at hospitals in low-income countries, a new study suggests. During in-person observations of births at urban hospitals in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria, researchers found that more than 40 percent of women experienced physical or verbal abuse, stigmatization or discrimination related to race or ethnicity, according to a report in The Lancet. Surveys of women who had recently given birth in those...
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ACEs Research Corner — May 2020
[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site -- abuseresearch.info -- that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs. Every month, she's posting the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs. Thank you, Harise!! -- Jane Stevens] Williams AB, Smith ER, Trujillo MA, et. al. Common health problems in safety-net primary care: Modeling the roles of trauma history and mental health. J Clin...
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Experts Fear Increase in Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders [nytimes.com]
By Pooja Lakshmin, The New York Times, May 27, 2020 After going through a harrowing bout of postpartum depression with her first child, my patient, Emily, had done everything possible to prepare for the postpartum period with her second. She stayed in treatment with me, her perinatal psychiatrist, and together we made the decision for her to continue Zoloft during her pregnancy. With the combination of medication, psychotherapy and a significant amount of planning, she was feeling confident...
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Association Between Mode of Delivery Among Pregnant Women With COVID-19 and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Spain (JAMA)
JAMA. Published online June 8, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.10125 Data from China found severe complications in 8% of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 1 However, the high rate of cesarean deliveries (>90%) in Chinese reports is concerning, 2 and whether mode of delivery is associated with maternal complications or neonatal transmission is unknown. 3 We assessed births to women with COVID-19 by mode of delivery. Methods Women with singleton pregnancies and a positive...
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Everything About the Coronavirus-Fueled Home Birth Trend Ignores the Realities for Black Women (Mother Jones)
Becca Andrews, June 15, 2020, Mother Jones “The solutions are within our communities, and people need to trust Black women, listen to Black women, and invest in Black women.” As a low-income, Black mother of seven, Laurie Bertram Roberts has limited faith in the medical establishment. So do her children. Back in March, when her middle daughter Kayla’s due date was inching closer amid a global pandemic, they made a decision: Kayla would deliver her baby at home. It wasn’t just one thing that...
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Creating Change Together: from the desk of APPPAH's Board of Directors & Diversity Committee
Association of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health (APPPAH) Dear APPPAH Community, During this time of great change and upheaval, APPPAH stands in solidarity and support for equity, racial justice and social transformation in all areas of our society. We especially support the voices of all the Black and Indigenous mothers, fathers, babies, grandparents and extended families who have been living with the burden of racism and inequality for too long. In our organization, we have...
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Can Mindfulness Ease Childbirth Pain? A Neuroscientist Says Yes (Scientific American)
By Jade Wu, June 22, 2020, Savvy Psychologist. Is mindfulness helpful for women and their partners during childbirth? We talked with neuroscientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center about the transformative practice of mindful body scan meditation [ Please click here to read more. ]
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Pregnant in a pandemic [washingtonpost.com]
By May-Ying Lam, The Washington Post, June 30, 2020 For women who are pregnant amid a pandemic, a recession and racial turmoil, the future is an anxiety-stirring unknown. They began their pregnancies in the “other world” that promised baby showers, gender-reveal parties, visits with grandparents and browsing stores for onesies. Now, they contemplate how they would handle a novel coronavirus diagnosis, prepare to give birth while wearing a mask and fight through old traumas that the virus has...
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Certified Lactation Specialist Program Beyond the Basics: Effectively Assisting Breastfeeding Mothers
We are going to have a small Lactation Specialist Program July 31st- Aug 2nd. Better Beginnings has offered us a limited number of scholarships to help cover the expenses of the students. We will be sitting 6 ft apart, in a well ventilated room, and will only have 10 students total. If you know someone who is interested, please have them call me! Rosanne Gephart CNM, MSN, IBCLC With Child Breastfeeding Support 5263 Beaumont Way - Santa Rosa, CA 95409 707-327-6911 *Please see attached for...
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1 in 100 Women May Possess a Genetic Variant That Makes Labor Less Painful (Genomics Research)
By Molly Campbell, July 22, 2020, Science Writer, Technology Networks. Pain is a complex phenomenon Delivering a child is a complex and subjective experience that is different for every woman; there are various options for delivery methods, delivery locations, approaches to breathing and so on. Regardless of these different variables, childbirth is widely recognized as ranking highly on the pain rating scale compared to other life experiences, and the fear of such pain can discourage women...
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ACEs and Gynecological Problems - A Conversation Starter
Gynecological problems as a result of ACEs, and particularly of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA), are rarely discussed in books and articles about the ACEs. The author would like to see that issue become part of the ACEs conversation.
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Infant Feeding During COVID: Strategic Planning for Pregnancy, Postpartum and Beyond [ucsf.edu]
Nationally, Black women have the lowest rates of breastfeeding initiation in comparison to any other racial/ethnic groups. Black babies are dying at twice the rate of White babies and according to the CDC, increasing breastfeeding among Black women can decrease infant mortality rates up to 50 percent. In honor of Black Breastfeeding Week (August 25th – 31st), we partnered with the BreastFriends Mommy Group in West Oakland to explore why these rates look different for Black women and...
Calendar Event
Accountability Breakfast 2020 - Free!
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Congressional Briefing: Advancing Respectful, Accountable Maternal Care in Medicaid
Plan to attend! Webinar Registration - Zoom Sep 15, 2020 02:00 PM EST The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world and has the worst outcomes of any high-resource nation, particularly for Black and Indigenous women. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the U.S. In the midst of the overlapping pandemics of systemic racism and COVID-19, there is a continued urgent need for respectful care and accountability so that everyone has access to the...
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Feasibility and Acceptability of Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (Journal of Women's Health) in Prenatal Care
By: Tracy Flanagan , Amy Alabaster , Brigid McCaw , Nicole Stoller , Carey Watson , Kelly C Young-Wolff . doi: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6649. Epub 2018 Jan. PMID: 29350573 / PMCID: PMC6065513 / DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6649 Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common among pregnant women and contribute to increased risk for negative perinatal outcomes, yet few clinicians screen prenatal patients for ACEs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of...
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SF announces pilot program to provide basic income to pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women [sfgate.com]
By Tessa McLean , SFGATE Updated 3:30 pm PDT, Wednesday, September 16, 2020 Mayor London Breed announced today the launch of a new pilot program that will provide a basic income to Black and Pacific Islander women during pregnancy and after giving birth. The 150 women chosen will receive a monthly income supplement of $1,000 for the duration of their pregnancy and for the first six months of their baby’s life, with the goal of eventually providing a supplement for up to two years...
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A new program in Mississippi is helping Black mothers breastfeed. Here's why it's crucial. (upworthy.com)
The Delta Baby Cafe in Sunflower County, Mississippi is providing breastfeeding assistance where it's needed most. Mississippi has the third lowest rate of breastfeeding in America. Only 70% of infants are ever-breastfed in the state, compared to 84% nationally. There are multiple reasons why Black women are less likely to breastfeed their children. First, according to the CDC , maternity wards that serve large Black populations are less likely to help Black women initiate breastfeeding...
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Experiences of breastfeeding during COVID‐19: Lessons for future practical and emotional support (Journal of Maternal & Child Nutrition)
By Amy Brown & Natalie Shenker , First published: 23 September 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13088 The COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown and social distancing led to changes to breastfeeding support available to women in the United Kingdom. Face‐to‐face professional support was reduced, and face‐to‐face peer support was cancelled. Anecdotal media accounts highlighted practices separating some mothers and babies in hospitals, alongside inaccurate stories of the safety of...
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COVID-19: Trauma-Informed Perinatal Care and Maternal Health [psychologytoday.com]
By Ann Diamond Weinstein, Psychology Today, September 28, 2020 The experience of life during the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 guidelines for perinatal care have changed the maternal-fetal experience of pregnancy and birth, as well as the maternal-infant experience during the postnatal period. The neuroception (1) of danger and the potential threat to one’s own life and that of loved ones has been sustained since the magnitude and lethalness of the pandemic was fully appreciated.
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In Her Words: Managing Mental Health [nytimes.com]
By Corinne Purtill, The New York Times, October 10, 2020 Over the course of her pregnancy, a woman receiving medical care in the United States can expect to be stuck with needles and prodded with ultrasound wands, to be asked to pee in countless cups and to gamely submit to any testing, measuring, monitoring or poking that might yield data on her body or the fetus. When it comes to mental health, however, the medical care juggernaut comes to a screeching halt. In the United States, many...
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For Pregnant Women, Stigma Complicates Opioid Misuse Treatment [thefix.com]
By Amarica Rafanelli 10/22/20, for The Fix.com New and expectant mothers face unique challenges when seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder. On top of preparing for motherhood, expectant mothers often face barriers to accessing treatment, which typically involves taking safer opioids to reduce dependency over time. The approach is called medication assisted therapy, or MAT, and is a key component in most opioid treatment programs. But with pregnant women, providers can be hesitant to...
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When reproductive rights are less restrictive babies are born healthier (Elsevier)
Article by May Sudhinaraset, et.al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine , volume 59, issue 6 (December 2020). Women, particularly US-born Black women, in states with restrictive reproductive rights policies deliver more low birth weight babies and experience greater health inequities, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine [ Please click here to read more ]
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Maternal Mental Health
Like many of you, I’m a bit out of sorts and somewhat disoriented right now. Our collective mental health is deteriorating during Covid-19. Recent stats report an increase from 20-40% of adults struggling with mental illness since the advent of the pandemic. Maternal mental health is particularly at risk. Helping children with distance learning, navigating exposure to the news, trying to keep life a bit “normal”, keeping family members fed and supplied, juggling career and income loss, all...
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Low levels of choline in pregnant Black American women associated with higher levels of stress (Mirage News)
NOVEMBER 17, 2020 5:08 AM AEDT Women with lower levels of choline delivered prematurely by 2 weeks, increasing risk of later mental health problems for their offspring. Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campu s have found that many pregnant Black Americans have low levels of choline, an essential nutrient that aids in prenatal brain development. Stress caused by institutional racism may play a role. The study, out now in Schizophrenia Bulletin , also found that these...
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New nonprofit breast milk bank launches in San Diego (sandiegouniontribune.com)
San Diego — Every year, about 260 of the tiniest premature babies in California hospitals develop an often-fatal bowel disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC. Nobody knows what causes NEC, but a common factor in many cases is the use of formula to feed these very low-birth-weight babies because the mother’s breast milk is not available. Replacing that formula with pasteurized breast milk in every California hospital newborn intensive care unit could be a positive step in reducing...
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New nonprofit breast milk bank launches in San Diego (sandiegouniontribune.com)
San Diego — Every year, about 260 of the tiniest premature babies in California hospitals develop an often-fatal bowel disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC. Nobody knows what causes NEC, but a common factor in many cases is the use of formula to feed these very low-birth-weight babies because the mother’s breast milk is not available. Replacing that formula with pasteurized breast milk in every California hospital newborn intensive care unit could be a positive step in reducing...