Women's History Month: Pregnancy and childbirth should not endanger the lives of mothers | Norment

Women giving birth is the foundation of our humanity. It is fundamental and essential to our very existence.

Yet, after all these centuries of medical developments and advancement, women continue to be burdened with the possibility of dying during pregnancy, childbirth and in the year following birth.

By now society and medicine should have resolved this issue – pregnancy and childbirth should not imperil a woman’s life.

Unfortunately, that often is the case. As we reflect on March, a month that focuses on women and their achievements, let us consider this deplorable predicament.

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Statistics show an unfortunate story

In a new report, the World Health Organization says “maternal mortality is unacceptably high.” WHO says 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2020. “Almost 95 percent of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower middle-income countries in 2020, and most could have been prevented.”

The high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world, according to WHO, reflects inequalities in access to quality health services and highlights the gap between rich and poor.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 861 women in 2020 died of maternal causes in our country, compared to 754 in 2019. The maternal mortality rate in 2020 for non-Hispanic Black women was 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.9 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women.

Bringing the issue even closer to home, in Tennessee, 98 women in Tennessee died in 2020during pregnancy or within year after the end of their pregnancy. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio in 2020 was 58.5 deaths per 100,000 live births. More than three of four deaths were deemed preventable.

“Our rates in Shelby County in both maternal and infant mortality are the highest in the state and often higher than the national average,” Jerri Green, senior policy advisor to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, was reported saying of the state’s maternal mortality rates.

While these numbers may be troubling to some and meaningless to others, the bottom line is that we as a world, nation and state must do better to ensure that women can safely deliver healthy babies. The health and continuation of the human population depends on it.

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How maternity care is lacking in rural areas in states like Tennessee

What makes this situation even more frustrating is that increasingly medical providers across the country no longer offer labor and delivery care, for maternity care is not profitable in rural areas where there are fewer patients. This is happening “even as maternal deaths increase at alarming rates in the United States, and as more women develop complications that can be life threatening,” according to a recent New York Times article.

The article pointed out that from 2015 to 2019, there were at least 89 obstetric unit closures in rural hospitals across the country. By 2020, about half of rural community hospitals did not provide obstetrics care, according to the American Hospital Association.

Not surprisingly, women in rural areas face a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, and one study shows that those living in “maternity care deserts” are three times as likely to die during pregnancy and the critical year afterward as those who are closer to care.

The state of Tennessee and the nation must take action to lower the rate of maternal deaths. A healthy pregnancy leads to a healthy birth, and prenatal care is important to both.

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Investing in pre-pregnancy and prenatal care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services even suggests a pre-pregnancy care visit so women can prepare their bodies and control health issues before getting pregnant. That’s the ideal time to manage diabetes and other medical conditions, to avoid smoking, drinking and using drugs, and to seek help for depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Pre-pregnancy and prenatal care can help avoid complications and make women aware of important things they can do to protect their infant and have a healthy pregnancy.

During prenatal care, pregnant women are encouraged to adapt a safe, healthy diet and avoid substances harmful to fetal health and development. Pregnant women also should shun tobacco smoke and alcohol use to lessen the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Alcohol use also raises the possibility for fetal disorders, including abnormal facial features, poor coordination, poor memory, intellectual disabilities, and heart, bone and kidney problems.

Women also are advised on the importance of taking an appropriate amount of folic acid daily during pregnancy to decrease the risks of neural tube defects by as much as 70%.

Regular visits to the doctor for prenatal care can go a long way in helping women to stay healthy during pregnancy and childbirth. But not all women in our country or our state have access to the care they need so they can get help when problems develop.

Among the health problems that can develop during pregnancy is gestational diabetes, when the expectant mother’s blood sugar levels are too high, thus increasing risk that the baby will be too large, a sudden increase in blood pressure (preeclampsia), and cesarean birth. It is important that the blood sugar level of the expectant mother is controlled with a healthy diet and exercise.

Iron deficiency anemia is another potential problem during pregnancy, for pregnant women need more iron for increased amount of blood in their body and for their developing child.

Depression and anxiety not only occur after birth, but also during pregnancy, and they may be caused by hormonal changes, stress, family history, and changes in brain chemistry. That’s why avoiding alcohol use and tobacco smoke is so important for expectant mothers

Other issues that may arise during pregnancy include fetal problems, infections, severe nausea and vomiting, miscarriage, problems with the placenta, and preterm labor.

We as individuals may not be able to solve the global issue of high maternal death rates, but we can do a lot to help solve the problem right here in our communities.

Encourage pregnant women and girls to seek the health care they need to deliver a healthy child. Volunteer with or start a group at your church or community center to educate women. Talk to your children, grandchildren and other family members about prenatal care and avoiding behavior that imperils the life and health of both mother and child.

Vital information and health care can go a long way in making sure that mothers and their babies are healthy and safe.

Lynn Norment, a columnist for The Commercial Appeal, is a former editor for Ebony Magazine.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Norment: This Women's History Month, let's protect and uplift mothers