Improving Health Of Our Black Pregnant Women

By Dr. Washington Hill

Let’s work to improve Black maternal health. Everyone can play a role in working to prevent complications and even worse during pregnancy.

Black women are 4 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women in Florida. Multiple factors contribute to this, such as variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, not being listened to, structural racism, and implicit bias. Social determinants of health

where we worship, live, love, work, play, and income can also effect the pregnancy. Working together, we can reduce Black mothers from dying and really have to.

Let’s learn here how YOU can support pregnant people in your life to reduce their chance of having pregnancy complications and death.

Pregnant people and their families can:

• Talk to a healthcare provider if anything doesn’t feel right or is concerning. Tell them your story. Expect them to listen. 
• Know and seek immediate care if experiencing any of the urgent maternal warning signs, including severe headache, extreme swelling of hands or face, trouble breathing, heavy vaginal bleeding or discharge, overwhelming tiredness, and more. These symptoms could indicate a potentially life-threatening complication.
• Seek prenatal care early with or without your insurance
• Share recent pregnancy history during each medical care visit for up to one year after delivery. Some problems due to pregnancy can happen up to a year after delivery.
• Connect with healthcare and social support systems early before, during, and and for a year after pregnancy.
• Pass this message on to your friends and family and Church goers and anyone who could be or was pregnant or knows someone pregnant. 

ENJOY A SAFE PREGNANCY FROM THE GULF COAST MEDICAL SOCIETY

Check out the First 1000 Days Suncoast, which can be reached at first1000dayssuncoast.org Yazmil Soriano, Special Programs Coordinator, Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County who can be reached at yazmil@hscsarasota.org Washington Hill, M.D. is a member of the Gulf Coast Medical Society and can be reached at dr.washingtonhill@ gmail.com

The Gulf Coast Medic al Society can be reached at gulfcoastmedicalsociety.org

LET’S ALL HELP KEEP OUR PREGNANT WOMEN SAFE!