Maryland Program Confronts Pregnancy Mortality
26 September 2024 |
Pregnancy mortality ratings have been steadily on the rise due to racial and gender bias in the medical field. To prevent pregnancy mortality and complications, the Maryland Patient Safety Center created B.I.R.T.H. Equity Maryland: Breaking Inequality Reimagining Transformative Healthcare in partnership with the Maryland Hospital Association and local experts in maternal health, emergency medicine, family practice, community health, and health equity.
Maternal mortality and complications are no longer able to be dismissed as female hysteria, thanks to studies by the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC). “Non-Hispanic Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared with non-Hispanic White women, even when adjusting for sociodemographic and reproductive factors. Systemic racism, bias, and discrimination are key drivers of these disparities in outcomes. CDC data from 2022 shows that 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Pregnant and postpartum patients are often seen in primary care offices, clinics, emergency departments, or other community health settings, where their obstetric history and early symptoms may be underappreciated.”
Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center was one of several hospitals that took part in the B.I.R.T.H Equity program but was the first to complete it in Montgomery County. Doctors, nurses, and caregivers learned better to recognize signs of potential maternal morbidity or distress, implementing protocols that better aid the mother, and training that confronts internalized biases which could mean the loss of mother and child.
Confronting internalized sexism and racism could be the lynchpin between life or death, and removing the physical and mental stress surrounding pregnancy will eradicate many long-term risks. Shady Grove Medical Center has one of the most prolific birth centers in the area, delivering 4,500 babies a year. In honoring their commitment to the program they can continue their dedication to their patients and extend the healing ministry of Christ.
