September 25, 2023 U.S. Maternal Deaths Rise as Health Disparities Increase; Local Resources Offer Support A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has revealed significant increases in pregnancy-related deaths across the United States, with disproportionate losses among Black, Native American, and Alaska Native people. About the Study Entitled, “Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States,” the study analyzed state-by-state census data from 1999 to 2019 on pregnant or recently pregnant individuals aged 10 to 54 years, to provide comprehensive evidence on maternal morbidity and to guide policies aimed at preventing maternal deaths. Key Findings Results revealed a stark spike in maternal mortality rates, with pregnancy-related deaths more than doubling among all racial and ethnic groups across the U.S. over the last 20 years, and more than tripling for Native American and Alaska Native people. However, maternal mortality remains the highest among the nation’s Black population, continuing historic trends. Unfortunately, worsening healthcare for Black and BIPOC mothers—a trend typically relegated to southern states—is expanding. According to the study, New York and New Jersey saw an increase in Black and Latina deaths, while more Asian mothers died in Wyoming and Montana. Supporting Information In interviews with study authors and other medical professionals, WESA, an NPR affiliate, revealed the uniqueness of this upward trend, noting that other high-income countries have seen their maternal morbidity rates decline as a result of increasingly accessible healthcare. Consequently, state review committees consider most maternal deaths preventable, as most deaths appear linked to untreated health conditions and complications. Thus, WESA sites researchers are advocating for improved access to care, which Medicaid may allow, as the program pays for about half of U.S. births. Local Maternal Health Resources Local programs and services may help new and expecting mothers in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and Pennsylvania. Some of these resources include: 211 Pennsylvania Prenatal Care Services AHN Pregnancy and Newborn Services Allegheny County Office of Family and Child Health Catholic Charities Roselia Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services HealthCare.gov: Health Coverage If You’re Pregnant, Plan to Get Pregnant, or Recently Gave Birth Healthy Beginnings Plus Healthy Start Pittsburgh Hello Baby: Home Visiting Medical Assistance for Children and Pregnant Women The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health UPMC Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine Learn More Find the status of local maternal health and learn about the state maternal morbidity review committee on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. To learn more, read the NPR and WESA article, “U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here’s who is most at risk.” Sources Information for this post was taken directly from “Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States”—a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)—and the NPR and WESA article, “U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here’s who is most at risk.” Text has been added, paraphrased, and adapted for reproduction, readability, and comprehension, and resources curated from a number of online sources. Related Content & Resources National Maternal Mental Health Hotline Available Prenatal-to-Three Playbook Details State of Child Care in Allegheny County, Shares Resources Resources for May Observances: Mother’s Day PA Receives $1.2 Million to Promote Maternal and Child Health Through 2026
April 7, 2023 Innovative Approaches to Improve Maternal Health Hybrid Workshop In the United States, pregnancy-related deaths and complications, or maternal mortality and morbidity (MMM) rates, are among the highest in the developed world. For Black women and American Indian/Alaska Native women, they are especially high, regardless of their income or education levels. Collaboration among researchers, small businesses, and the community could lead to new ways to improve maternal health and reduce U.S. MMM rates. Hosted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this event brings together those groups to address health disparities. Session Details Date & Time: Monday, May 8 – Tuesday, May 9 | 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Location: Participants have the option to attend virtually in in-person. Watch the event live via NIH videocast: May 8: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49193 May 9: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=49196 Attend the in-person event at: Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus Bethesda, MD 20894 Cost: Free Register: Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. In person space is limited, so be sure to register early. To register, complete the online registration form. Learn More During the workshop, participants will: explore key scientific discoveries in diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-associated conditions and the areas ready for translation participate in how-to training sessions focused on best-practices in translation, education, funding, technology development, and dissemination review implementation science and community-engaged methods to ensure maternal health technologies reach those most affected and address health equity This workshop is sponsored by: NIH IMPROVE Initiative NHLBI National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) To learn more, visit the National Institutes of Health website.
March 10, 2023 Talking with Families About Substance Use During Pregnancy Expectant parents who struggle with substance use may not ask for help for various reasons. Judgment-free conversations about substance use can help expectant parents get the support they need to have a healthy pregnancy. Join the Office of Head Start and its National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety for this webinar, and learn how to have compassionate and helpful conversations about substance use and recovery that lead to greater health equity. This webinar is offered with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish. Session Details Thursday, March 23 | 1 – 2 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More In this webinar, Head Start will discuss: how substance use affects the health of the expectant parent and baby how to use motivational interviewing techniques to reduce stigma during conversations about substance use and recovery why talking with expectant parents about substance use and recovery is important to achieving health equity This webinar benefits: Head Start and Early Head Start program staff, families, directors, managers, and administrators Home visitors Infant and early childhood mental health consultants To learn more, visit the Head Start website.
January 15, 2020 Breastfeeding Class Are you interested in learning more about breastfeeding? Attend Breastfeeding Classes at The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health in Pittsburgh! About Whether this is your first baby or you have breastfed before, if you want to learn more about the new information available about breastfeeding, join The Midwife Center for their fun, informal classes. Partners are encouraged to attend, as well as any other family members. Classes designed for women who are between the 33rd and 37th week of pregnancy. Classes will feature information on: breast care and problems; positioning and latch-on; how often and how long to nurse; how to determine if your baby is getting enough; pumping and storing milk; and more! Registration To register for a Breastfeeding Class, download the Class Registration Form or call 412.321.6880. Please note that a scholarship fund is available for people who meet the income requirements. More Information For more information, visit The Midwife Center website.
June 3, 2019 Lunch & Learn: Prenatal Summer Classes Join the MAYA Organization on Wednesdays this summer for their Prenatal Lunch & Learn series. About Expectant mothers are invited to learn about healthy pregnancy, infant care, and self-care in this summer Lunch & Learn series. Classes will be held on Wednesdays, June 19 through July 17, from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Participants that complete the Eight Core Class series in four weeks will earn a car seat or pack’n’play upon completion. Series Schedule Classes will be held on the following dates at the Maya Organization headquarters: June 19 June 26 July 3 July 10 July 17 Learn More To learn more and register online, visit the event Facebook page. To RSVP via phone or email, contact 412.945.7670, extension 103 or christy@mayaorganization.org. Share this flyer with your network.
May 13, 2019 Unshakeable Motherhood | Resources & Learning Join Kangaroo Birthing and Maternity for the 1st Annual Unshakeable Motherhood event on May 28, 2019. About This one-day free evening opportunity is designed to help mothers feel confident about navigating pregnancy, labor and delivery, life with an infant, and the transition to motherhood. It’s a chance to explore new options and find resources on the aspects of pregnancy, birth, babies, or parenthood that are most important to mom and partner. You will have an eye-opening experience to experience dozens of vendors along with featuring doulas, midwives, and OBs, pediatricians, lactation consultants and IBCLCs, chiropractors, photographers, prenatal fitness experts, child care facilities, book shops, baby boutiques, early childhood programming. There’s a strong focus on education — there will be expert-led seminars, mini-classes, and panel discussions on topics related to pregnancy, childbirth, babies, and the transition to parenthood, as well as demonstrations designed to teach skills like babywearing and cloth diapering skills. Registration Registration for this event is free and may be completed via the event webpage. Your ticket includes: An opportunity to be selected to ask real-time questions with birth workers, Dinner and snacks, An “Unshakeable Motherhood” special gift bag, and An opportunity to connect with the birthing community. Questions To learn more and contact the host, visit the event webpage.
March 11, 2019 New Study on Maternity Leave Unveiled Study A new study in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy finds a direct link between length of maternity leave and quality of mother-child interactions. The study: The Role of Length of Maternity Leave in Supporting Mother-Child Interactions and Attachment Security Among American Mothers and Their Infants suggests these results have implications for the development of family policies that support the needs of infants and mothers during the first months of life. Policy The implementation of comprehensive and universal maternity leave policy can complement child care policies. Both quality child care and maternity leave policies constitute solutions to similar needs. The results of this study support the need for parents to have the opportunity to choose to take maternity before infants enter child care. While quality child care can result in positive developmental outcomes for the infants, maternity leave can ensure that mothers have time off from work. This way, maternity leave can give mothers the opportunity to spend time with their infants, engage in positive and stress-free interactions, and learn to read a child’s cues before they negotiate the stress of balancing parenting and work. Ultimately, a combination of comprehensive maternity leave and child care policies will give each family the opportunity to have some choice in timing and combination of work, leave, and child care. Read the complete study here.
February 26, 2019 Councilperson Strassburger Introduces Legislation to Combat Pregnancy Discrimination Today, Pittsburgh City Councilperson Erika Strassburger announced the introduction of legislation to safeguard employment protections for pregnant employees, individuals seeking to become pregnant, and their partners. In addition, the City of Pittsburgh’s Commission on Human Relations released an accompanying Guidance Document to empower employers to take steps to prevent discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions and events. Strassburger’s Statement “Employees should not be forced to choose between their livelihood and their reproductive decisions. My legislation ensures that pregnant workers, regardless of whether they work in a corporate office, a retail store, or a warehouse, can work in a safe and comfortable environment, attend medical appointments, and sustain a healthy pregnancy without fear of losing their job or benefits,” said Councilperson Strassburger. “I encourage employers citywide to review the Guidance Document to help prevent pregnancy-based discrimination from ever occurring.” Details and Impact Councilperson Strassburger’s legislation would explicitly prohibit employment discrimination against pregnant individuals, those seeking to become pregnant, and their partners before, during, and after the nine-month gestation period and after childbirth. This change to the City Code may require employers to provide reasonable modifications to employees’ workspaces and offer justifiable flexibility in scheduling to allow employees and their partners to attend procedures, tests, and other appointments associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. A copy of the legislation is available here. With this change, Pittsburgh would become one of the first jurisdictions nationwide to clearly safeguard employment protections for the partners of pregnant employees. Additionally, the legislation would make Pittsburgh one of few cities to guarantee employment protections for related events that occur before, during, and after gestation and after childbirth. View the entire press release here. Those who feel they may have been treated unfairly are encouraged to call the Commission on Human Relations (CHR) at 412-255-2600 or visit http://pittsburghpa.gov/chr/ for more information. The CHR also offers free training and resources for employers.
