SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS. 6 AT 09:00AM GETTING RESULTS.
>> JULIE: A NEW STUDY IS
SHEDDING MORE LIGHT ON THE
PROBLEM WE’VE KNOWN ABOUT FOR
DECADES BUT KEEPS GETTING
WORSE AMONG WEALTHY NATIONS.
THE UNITED STATES HAS THE
HIGHEST RATE OF MATERNAL
MORTALITY. THAT MORTALITY IS
DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH WHEN
IT COMES TO BLACK MOTHERS. SO
BRIDGES STANDING BY NOW TO ASK
A DOCTOR ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND
WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT ASK A
DOCTOR IS SPONSORED BY RED
MOUNTAIN.
>> CANDACE: MATERNAL MORTALITY
MEANS DEATH DURING PREGNANCY
OR UP TO A YEAR AFTER
DELIVERING CAUSES CAN BE
ANYTHING FROM EXCESSIVE
BLEEDING TO INFECTION EVEN
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE. PROPER
CARE FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS IS
SO IMPORTANT AND OFTEN ACCESS
TO CARE IS A BIG PROBLEM. EVEN
IN THE UNITED STATES. JOINING
US NOW IS MISS JENNY JOSEPH’S.
SHE IS A RENOWNED MIDWIFE AND
YOU’VE BEEN A GUEST HERE ON
NEWS 6 AT 94. AND YOU’RE ALSO
A BIG ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN’S
HEALTH AS WELL AS MATERNAL
HEALTH. AMONG MANY OTHER
THINGS. AND THIS ISSUE OF
MATERNAL MORTALITY IN THE
UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO BE
REALLY DISAPPOINTING.
>> IT’S DISAPPOINTING. IT’S AN
EMBARRASSMENT, FRANKLY, AMONG
THE MOST RESOURCED COUNTRY IN
THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW,
DEVELOPED WORLD, WE STATISTICS
HAVE RISEN THIS YEAR. WE HAVE
INCREASED THE NUMBERS OF
MOTHERS BEING LOST 2 IN BOTH.
ALL POSTPARTUM PREGNANCY,
BIRTH AND POSTPARTUM. THAT
DISPARITY IS ALSO STILL THERE.
3 TO 4 TIMES AS MANY BLACK
WOMEN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN BLACK
WOMEN COMING. AND THEN THE
OTHER THING THAT’S REALLY
MENTION IS THAT IT’S NOT JUST
THOSE THAT HIGH AS IF THAT’S
NOT BAD ENOUGH, BUT IT THAT
NEARLY THAT NUMBER WAY OUT OF
CONTROL. WE CAN ACTUALLY
REALLY SAY HOW MANY PEOPLE OF
THE 4 MILLION BIRTHS PER YEAR
ALL ARE STILL NOT FAME AFTER
THEY’VE HAD PREGNANCY, BOTH
POSTPARTUM EXPERIENCE. THAT’S
IT’S BEYOND. DISAPPOINTING IS
SHAMEFUL. WHAT’S HAPPENING TO
COMBAT THESE ISSUES? LOT OF
GOING ON. A LOT OF INTEREST
NOW. A LOT OF APPLICATION OF
NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS
TRAININGS, IMPLICIT BIAS,
TRAININGS. I’M LOOKING AT, YOU
KNOW, MOST SAFETY MEASURES,
SAFETY FUMBLES, TRILLS AND
TRAININGS. HE’S THE THING AT
THE END OF THE DAY BECAUSE
MUCH OF THIS IS PREVENTABLE.
WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
IT’S NOT PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS
THAT THESE WOMEN NOT BEING
LOST ARE SUFFERING. IT’S
ACTUALLY DO SYSTEMIC WAYS OF
BEING RACISM. CLASSISM
DISCRIMINATION PLAYS IN IN THE
CASE OF BLACK WOMEN, BLACK
MOTHERS IN THIS SITUATION,
HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, OF
CELEBRITIES WILLIAM’S FIANCEE,
WOMEN, ALL WEALTH WOMEN WITH
HIGHER EDUCATION, WOMEN
POSITIONS OF POWER, BLACK
WOMEN, THE STILL SUCCUMBING.
THAT’S HOW YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT
ABOUT ALL BLACK PEOPLE HAVE A
BODY THAT DOESN’T WORK OR
THEY’RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE A
PREGNANCY THAT GOES TO TURN.
THAT IS NOT TRUE. THAT’S NOT
THE CASE. THE STROKES HAVE TO
BE LET GO SO WE CAN WORK ON
SOLUTIONS.
>> BRIDGETT: AND WHAT DO YOU
SEE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW,
WOMEN MAKING THEIR HEALTH
PLANS WITH REGARD TO CONCERNS
ABOUT MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES
IN THIS COUNTRY? WELL, THAT’S
A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION
BECAUSE LET’S FACE IT. PEOPLE
SCARED AT THIS POINT, YOU
KNOW, HAVING A BABY IN THIS
COUNTRY, YOU GET A SENSE OF
FEAR COMES UP. YOUR MENTAL
HEALTH IMPACTED BY THIS. AND
SO WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE
NEED TO HELP PEOPLE FIND WAYS
TO GET TO SAFETY. SO WE HAVE
IN ORGANIZATION COMING SINCE
CHILD WITH WE’VE WORKED WITH
WOMEN. ALSO IN QUESTIONS TO
FIND OUT REALLY THE BOTTOM
LINE, SAY WHAT ARE YOU DOING
ABOUT KEEPING ME SAFE, TRUST
AND DEPEND ON YOU DOING THAT
FOR ME. AND IF THEY CAN
INCLUDED IN THIS HEALTH CARE
THAT YOU’RE OFFERING, I THINK
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
STOP EXERCISING SOME POWER,
SOME AUTONOMY AND CHECK IN.
I’M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS AND
CHECKING OUT THE LEVEL OF
QUALITY THAT THEY ARE
ACCESSING TO GET THIS CAN TO
GET TO THE OTHER SIDE AND WE
NEED TO ADDRESS THE SUPPORT
THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY’RE
NOT LEFT HANGING FIGURING IT
OUT BY THEMSELVES IS NOT YES.
IT TAKES US A HIGHER LEVEL.
PROACTIVE NURSE RON, THE PART
OF FIGHT IS ON THE PROVIDERS.
THE FAMILY MEMBERS EVERYWHERE,
EVERYBODY, ALL HANDS ON WE
HAVE A CRISIS. WELL, JENNY,
THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION
AND WE CAN GET MORE
INFORMATION WITH COMMONS.
COMMON SAYS CHILDBIRTH DOT AND
JUST A QUICK SHOUT OUT BLACK
MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH WEEK IS
COMING UP JULY 19TH TO 25TH
AND LOTS OF INFORMATION ON THE
INTERNET ABOUT BLACK MATERNAL
HEALTH, WHICH IS ANOTHER BIG
ISSUE THAT WE DON’T DEAL WITH.
AND SO, YES, PLEASE DO SOME
RESEARCH. FIND US ONLINE. AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH. OPPORTUNITY
TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT
PROBLEM. THERE’S SUPPORT OUT