The numbers show that Ohio continues seeing some of the worst cases of infant mortality in the US. How are local groups working to address this? In this limited series, WYSO Public Radio’s Ngozi Cole speaks with Black doulas, midwifery collectives, hospitals and policy makers on how this issue is being addressed.
When Rhonda Fleming, a mom from Dayton, was giving birth to her son, she felt like her concerns during the process were not listened to.
At a panel organized by local non-profit Queens Village and Montgomery County Public Health during black maternal health week in April, she shared her ordeal.
“A C-Section was kind of forced on me, and I wasn't educated on C-Sections” Fleming said. "I didn't know if I was going to make it. I didn't know what is was going to be like after a C-section."
Fleming’s experience mirrors that of many Black women who believe that their health concerns aren’t taken seriously.
“Even though I knew how I was feeling, this is what the doctor said- whether I live or die. The doctor said this is what I got to do,” Fleming explained.
New data from the CDC shows that more women are dying in pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Ohio is currently ranked one of the worst states for maternal mortality and Black mothers and babies are at higher risk.
According to a 2020 report from the Ohio Department of Health, Black women are two and a half times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than White women. Also, in 2021, Black infants were three times more likely to die before their first birthday than White babies.
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio found that in health care settings, the concerns of patients of color are more likely to be dismissed. This leads to disparities in healthcare outcomes.
“We know that based on the research that this results in lower quality care, including things like misdiagnosis of conditions that are faced by black mothers and mothers of color across the state,” Carrie Almasi, who leads equity research at the institute, said.
The institute published a report in October 2022, that outlined racism and discrimination and implicit bias among the top barriers that black women face to accessing proper prenatal care.
Gayle Fowler, an environmental health advocate from Dayton has been researching health disparities among people of color. She believes that questions about the high numbers of black maternal and infant deaths, must go deeper.
I just tend to believe that we are not dealing with it as systemic racism,” Fowler said. “I mean, you talk about black babies dying three times the number, it's outrageous. I just want us to keep asking the right questions.”
Over the next few months, Ngozi Cole will be examining some of the causes and possible solutions to making sure that more Black moms and babies live.
