How deep is inequality in our communities?
Consider that for some people, the disadvantages and risks begin while they are still in the womb.
Compared to white babies, Black babies in Fairfield County are twice as likely to be born with low birth weight. And those babies are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.
Additionally, the rate of late births or births without prenatal care is more than twice as high for black mothers as for white mothers.
These statistics are alarming and demand action. Every child born in Fairfield County deserves the opportunity to survive and thrive. It starts with ensuring all mothers have the care and support they need to ensure the health of themselves and their babies.
We recently launched the Black Mother Health Initiative, which aims to improve the health outcomes of Black mothers and the mothers of their babies.
This initiative unites Black doulas, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, advocacy groups, and long-standing women and girls foundations to advance systemic change in maternal health care and, ultimately, all improved care and support for Black mothers in ways that improve outcomes for women. in pregnancy and childbirth. It also puts children on a more promising early childhood path.
This new initiative is first focused on an area where we can make a quick and significant impact: expanding doula care for Black mothers.
While a growing body of research shows that a doula’s support and expertise can lead to healthier births, a lack of insurance coverage, limited access to affordable doula services, and a shortage of properly qualified doulas , many pregnant women face barriers to hiring a doula. Trained to work effectively with diverse populations.
Increasing access to doulas can be an important element in promoting health equity by providing culturally congruent care. Doulas promote care based on dignity, trust, bodily autonomy, and relationships.
And, importantly, doulas can help alert health care providers to symptoms and concerns that can lead to severe maternal morbidity and mortality.
We are working to further strengthen the doulas currently serving our community and will prioritize several important issues, including:
- Strengthen the local birth workforce by training and hiring more doulas.
- Advocate for hospital policy changes and legal reform to produce better health outcomes.
- Collect data that tracks families’ experiences in the hospital.
- Connecting more families to the resources they need to have the best chance for a happy birth.
- Strengthen the maternal health workforce and ensure resources to advocate for change and monitor progress.
Our work to improve the health of Black mothers begins with our history of supporting women’s health initiatives through the Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls (FWG). Her FWG, the largest foundation of its kind in New England, is the driving force behind programs such as the emme Coalition, which transforms the way health care is delivered to women and girls in Bridgeport.
Still, it takes a community-wide effort to bring about meaningful and lasting change. You can join us by supporting our Fund for Women and Girls or our newly launched Health Equity Fund.
Improving maternal and child health outcomes for Black people in our communities engages all of us by promoting social cohesion, improving quality of life, fostering empathy and compassion, and fostering economic growth. will benefit you.
As a Black woman who has had an incredibly difficult and complicated journey to motherhood, I know the difference that supportive and responsive health care can make, and the tremendous difference that exists when those supports aren’t in place. be aware of the real dangers. The journey to motherhood is especially challenging when you’re trying to navigate a system that wasn’t built with your best interests in mind. Unfortunately, this is the path that too many Black women in Fairfield County face during pregnancy and childbirth, regardless of income or education.
I believe that Fairfield County is a place where no one should have to go into pregnancy fearing that they will not have the same level of care and support that many of their neighbors receive. No mother should have to fear for her life or the life of her unborn child because she does not have equal access to the care, information, resources, and support that many mothers in our community take for granted.
And no newborn should be born into this world facing unreasonable risks arising from unfair and unacceptable inequalities.
We are much better than that. Let’s prove it together.
Mendy Blue Paca is president and CEO of the Fairfield County Community Foundation.
On February 29, Connecticut residents heard an insider’s look at the severe systemic barriers faced by Black patients and doctors as part of the foundation’s “In Community” speaker series at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk. You can hear their opinions. Author and ER physician Dr. Uche Blackstock shares insights from her new book. Legacy: A Black doctor reflects on racism in medicine. For more information, please visit the “Up & Coming” section of the Fairfield County Community Foundation homepage.
