High Infant Mortality Rates a Threat to Black Babies

As if praying for the protection of their sons and daughters in the face of violence provoked by racial discrimination wasn’t enough, Black mamas also have the burden of making sure their newborns receive the proper nourishment and care necessary for a fighting chance of survival.

In the United States, although infant mortality rates have decreased overall, Black infants are still dying at a rate that is twice as high as non-Hispanic white infants. At a rate of 11.1 deaths per 1,000 births, the number of Black babies dying in the United States is proportionally higher than the rates in at least 97 other countries.

The leading cause of Black infant deaths is low birth-weight. Why though? Several culprits seem to be at fault:

• One is that Black mothers are more susceptible to uterine tumors that affect the growth of the baby in the womb. These uterine fibroid tumors can rob the baby of essential nutrients thus resulting in lower birth weights.
• Additionally, social stressors that are unique to Black mothers can lead to premature aging of the body and thus hinder the healthy growth of their babies. The same stress that leads to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels is hurting our babies before they even get here.
• And, even though prenatal care is widely available, some Black moms report that they felt they did not receive the same level of care as their white counterparts. Proper prenatal care is vital to avoid premature births and birth defects.

Low birthweight is not the only cause of untimely infant deaths. Also included in the top five as stated by the Centers for Disease Control are (2) congenital malformations; (3) maternal complications; (4) accidents and (5) sudden infant death syndrome.

We’ve previously talked about how Black Americans have a general distrust of the medical profession. That is a systemic problem that needs to be addressed on an ongoing basis. When it comes to the care of our babies, however, one possible short and long-term answer is to get more Black doctors involved. A study from George Mason University found that the infant mortality rate was greatly reduced when Black infants were cared for by Black doctors.

“We have to be thinking about how do we create a critical mass of providers from diverse backgrounds that are in tune with communities of color, who understand that lived experience, and who can really build relationships and trust that seems to be missing right now,” said Rachel Hardeman, one of the study’s authors and a reproductive health equity researcher and associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health told Fortune magazine.

It’s not that non-Black doctors can’t properly care for Black mothers and infants in a safe and effective manner. It is just that there is something to be said for a doctor who can break through the socio-economic, racial and cultural barriers that keep those mothers and babies who are most at-risk from getting the proper medical care and attention they need and deserve.

-Sojourner Justice