Martina explores the historical roots of modern obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Joia Crear-Perry and Dr. Mimi Niles explain how flaws in medical education and research contribute to the Black birthing crisis.
Women's and Maternal Health
Myeshia is a married, 34-year-old cis Black queer woman with a PhD. Two weeks after giving birth to her first child in a Southern California emergency room, things take a turn for the worse.
'The only thing standing between us is this glass,' Alex Benavidez told his wife, Kayla, as they grappled with COVID-19 restrictions during the birth of their daughter. The pandemic has spurred striking precautions in delivery rooms across Texas.
So many people could identify with Beyoncé and Serena Williams’ recent birthing experiences. But where could non-celebrity black parents and loved ones go to share, listen and feel seen?
The US has the highest maternal death rate of any developed nation. California is trying to do something about that.
How fetal alcohol syndrome has slipped from Washington's agenda.
North Carolina has one of the worst records in the nation for the deaths of children a year or younger. The rate of black babies’ deaths is a big reason.
State programs and efforts by private organizations have reduced North Carolina’s infant mortality rate to its lowest ever, but the state still has a stubborn problem with high levels of black infant mortality.
Several states are now leading the way to ensure doulas are available to the low-income and underserved women who need them most.
Deaths of African-American babies declined most quickly in states that expanded Medicaid coverage, researchers have found. North Carolina isn’t one of those states.