Racism Causing Premature Births
Posted by Advocate Aaron · Leave a Comment
The documentary UNNATURAL CAUSES: In Inequality Making Us Sick? poses an interesting question: is racism in the United States causing African American women to give birth to premature babies? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdFzwPEfRhs
Regardless of social status, economic situation or education, the documentary reports that the premature birth rate for African American babies is nearly double that of white babies. A study conducted by leading researchers found no correlation to genetics; leaving racism as a potential reason for delivering early.
Researchers believe that the lifetime stresses and anxieties associated with unequal treatment are at the root of the problem. Premature birth often comes with life-threatening, sometimes fatal, complications – especially for women who can’t gain access to proper prenatal care. For African Americans, the risk is even greater.
The war against unfair treatment for pregnant women is multi-front. On one front, we’re battling the medical community, which denies treatment and inflates medical bills; on another, we’re fighting insurance companies who refuse to cover maternity-related procedures; and we’re fighting racism, too, a malicious socioeconomic disease that the U.S. has not been able to shake despite strides for equality.
Each baby born is a miracle in and of itself; the miracle of life and the only thing that can perpetuate humanity. Giving birth, and thus life, is even more amazing when you realize that so many forces are aligned against it. The fact that the majority of pregnancies end with a normal delivery and healthy babies is astonishing; but at the same time the fact that so many women and newborns suffer because they can’t get proper prenatal care and have to face other stresses during pregnancy is appalling.
It is illegal to discriminate against a pregnant mother because of her race. Maternity Health and Maternity Advantage have resources to help ensure pregnant women are not being victimized by society; and more women who are in financial and other socioeconomic need should contact these organizations to prevent unfair treatment and to get the best care possible for themselves and their babies.
When war has been waged against you, you have to fight back. That’s what we’re doing, and we won’t stop until we secure the rights of mothers to give birth to healthy babies – and still have the means to support them once they return home.
Want to help in the cause? You can donate to Maternity Health, a nonprofit organization that fights for the rights of mothers, here: http://www.maternityhealth.org/help.htm.
