Will the nurses and doctors who are receiving announcements of these programs actually reflect on their racial biases and recognize that mothers should not be blamed for their poor outcomes when they are not heard or educated by their providers? These online and social media tools and videos do not address how racism affects providers’ communication and decision-making when Black mothers let them know that they are experiencing warning signs. The CDC’s Hear Her Campaign and the council’s Warning Signs tool tell mothers and their supporters that they are responsible for changing their behavior, improving their own outcomes, and preventing their own complications related to childbirth.

But they fail women in a crucial way: They blame mothers for their poor outcomes and fail to address providers’ tendencies to dismiss moms’ complaints. These efforts are welcome because of the lack of effective patient education for pregnant women. These join other warning-sign tools and video campaigns from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses the March of Dimes, and the Preeclampsia Foundation, to name a few. In an effort to reduce the number of maternal deaths in the United States, the CDC launched the Hear Her Campaign and, in conjunction with the CDC, the Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care launched the Urgent Maternal Warning Signs tool. Deaths and severe complications related to pregnancy and childbirth are the tip of the iceberg of medical harm experienced by Black birthing people, from rushed prenatal visits to unnecessary and unwanted cesarean births, which can cause postpartum infections and wound problems.Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of maternal deaths are preventable. Not only are their concerns dismissed, but traumatic birthing experiences are so common that one-quarter of Black women report disrespect and abuse from medical professionals in the hospital. Sadly, that happens all too often.įrom the rich and famous to the less well-to-do, Black mothers are often not listened to when they report signs of possible complications of pregnancy and birth. In each of those cases, the woman or her family asked for help with one or more known warning signs of complications, like severe pain and difficulty breathing, and were not heard. Shalon Irving and Kira Johnson, and and the delayed response to Serena Williams’ request for treatment of a post-delivery complication. That changed, partly because of the high-profile deaths of Dr. The alarming number of deaths of Black women during childbirth and soon afterward once gained little national attention. Exclusive analysis of biotech, pharma, and the life sciences Learn More

Doctors in training are dying