Impact Resource Guide: Moms in Sport

Overview: What is maternal health?

The World Health Organization defines Maternal Health as “the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.” Each stage should be a positive experience, ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well-being.

Although important progress has been made, approximately 700 women die in the U.S. each year as a result of pregnancy or its complications. Black, Native American, and Alaska Native women have higher rates of pregnancy-related death compared to White women as they are 2-3 times more likely to experience negative health outcomes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Black women are at significantly higher risk for severe health related issues, such as preeclampsia and high blood pressure and they have higher rates of admission to the intensive care unit during delivery compared to White women. 

Learn More 

Read:

• Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Them (Kiff)
• Racial and Ethnic Disparities Continue in Pregnancy-Related Deaths (CDC)
• Racial Justice in Maternal Health: How to reduce Black maternal mortality (UChicago Medicine)
• The Black Maternal Mortality Crisis and Why It Remains an Issue (NPR)

Watch:

• Aftershock (Hulu)
• Birthing Justice (PBS)
• Born Free: The Real Cost of Birth (Prime Video, Apple TV, Tubi)
• No Woman, No Cry (Prime Video)
• Giving Birth in America (Youtube)

Support: 

Every Mother Counts collaborates with key decision makers, thought and practice leaders, and community members to advance improvements in maternal health. 

Moms First aims to provide solutions that equitably provide childcare support for employees, increase transparency by sharing policies and best practices, and speak out publicly on the importance of childcare within the U.S.

The Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance that centers Black mamas and birthing people to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice. 

Our Mothers and Us is a local effort in Phoenix, Arizona that aims to increase awareness and facilitate transparent discussion about Black maternal health throughout the valley. 

Resources Used:

Black Maternal Health Caucus

World Health Organization

Every Mother Counts