WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — For the past five years, April 11-17 has been known as Black Maternal Health Week. Dr. Natasha Alligood, an OBGYN at UPMC Williamsport, says the week is designed to bring awareness and improve maternal health among black women.
"We know that black women are two and a half times as likely to experience death, either during pregnancy, the childbirth itself, or in that postpartum time frame," said Dr. Alligood.
Many of those deaths are caused by co-morbidities.
"Black women are more likely to experience certain metabolic issues including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure," added Dr. Alligood.
Dr. Alligood believes those health issues are related to years of systemic racism.
"That is where we go back to hundreds of years of structural and systemic racism that affects housing, that affects nutrition, that affects education, and that affects how black women are presented today."
Health experts believe there are also issues inside the health care system. They say women of color are sometimes ignored when speaking up about a health issue.
"There is also implicit bias. We have to really think about are we listening to black women. Are we taking their concerns seriously? And are we identifying these risk factors at an earlier and more treatable time frame?"
To help fix these issues, UPMC is doing more one-on-one care between expectant mothers and midwives. The health care system is also researching the benefits and roles of doulas.
"That is a labor support person that is really specialized and trained in providing support to pregnant women in labor," said Dr. Alligood.
To learn more about Black Maternal Health Week, you can visit here.
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