In the Washington, D.C., area, black mothers are more likely to give birth prematurely than white mothers.
In the Washington, D.C., area, black mothers are more likely to give birth prematurely than white mothers.
In fact, according to a 2023 March of Dimes report, the preterm birth rate in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., is 1.4 times higher for Black mothers compared to the preterm birth rate for all other babies. It was 1.8 times higher than the previous year.
“In the case of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, the burden of poor outcomes is disproportionately borne by Black women,” said John D.C., director of maternal and child health initiatives at the March of Dimes in the D.C. area. Mallory Mpalae-Qualls says.
Mpare-Quarles said the advocacy group's report ranks states and cities based on prematurity statistics, resulting in regions scoring between a “C” and a “C-.” It is said that it became
“This is not the interest rate we expect at the DMV,” Mparecuarles said.
The group says premature birth increases the risk that the infant will not survive. Preterm birth rates in the D.C. region are about 10%, and infant mortality rates are also higher for black infants.
Mapalequoles said part of the reason for this is the difficulty mothers-to-be have in accessing important doctor's appointments during pregnancy.
“We know that women in Washington, D.C., are probably taking one or two buses to get to their health care provider, and that's a huge barrier,” she says.
Another issue is the need for implicit bias training in the medical industry, she said, which also causes some women to not get medical checkups during pregnancy.
Elizabeth Kemp Calder of Maryland said she witnessed the problem 12 years ago when she went to the hospital after her water broke while giving birth to triplets.
“In the emergency room, they kept asking me if I was going to the bathroom even though my water hadn't broken, so I couldn't get treatment right away,” Calder said.
She said she and her husband went to another hospital, where staff listened and agreed to go into labor. Her daughter Victoria's heart stopped before she gave birth five days later. Then her son, Ronald Jr., came into the world before his lungs were developed enough to breathe.
“I was able to hold him while he was fighting for air, but he passed away,” Calder said.
Her third son William survives. She said she believes her outcome could have been different if she had received better care during her first ER visit.
“There is absolutely a chance that Victoria's life and the resulting chain reaction could have been saved had she received the right treatment right away,” Ms Calder said.
Mpare-Quarles said March of Dimes offers implicit bias classes to help health care providers. She said Maryland has a law requiring implicit bias training for perinatal care providers.
Meparequoles said Maryland needs easier access to health insurance because of its large immigrant population, which she believes will also promote lifesaving prenatal care. . She said both states and Washington, D.C., have introduced or are working to expand Medicaid to provide more coverage.
Mpare-Quarles said this is a complex problem, and turning the tide will require complex solutions.
“To see the progress we hope to see, we are going to need many partners, many systems, many allies and advocates to take this issue seriously,” Mpalae-Quarles said.
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