Moody Monday: US Infant Mortality Epidemic

I am so excited to finally start this blog as an extension of my desire to educate and make changes in our society around maternal/child health.  Today is Moody Monday! Huffington Post discussed the plight of infant mortality in the African American community: Infant Mortality

African Americans nationwide also have a stillbirth rate double that of whites. What's more, these unacceptable disparities have persisted for a half century.

Care also must continue after delivery, including screening for post-partum depression and education about breastfeeding. In California, research recently showed that at 22 hospitals more than 75% of mothers were supplementing their infants with formula at the time of discharge. Many of these hospitals serve the poorest families.

The benefits of breastfeeding have been well documented for years, [see my earlier post on this] yet nationwide, 65% of all black infants were breast fed versus, 79% of white infants, according to a 2005-2006 study.

In a recent article, my colleague Calvin J. Hobel, MD, an expert on the effects of stress on preterm birth, explains that chronic stress, precipitated by such factors as poverty, living in a dangerous neighborhood or racism, may trigger the release of a hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone. CRH, produced by the brain and the placenta, is closely tied to labor. It prompts the body to release chemicals called prostaglandins, which help trigger uterine contractions.

This is why Ama Traditional Services was created.  The United States prides itself on being the model country, yet our babies are dying to fast and too early.  Apparently we are not doing something right, even with all of the medical advancement and technology.  This article points out that women need access to care, less stress, and community support: the foundation of the Ama mission.