Coi Leray has announced her baby’s sex, just in time for maternal health week! Here is the importance of maternal health

The singer and rapper Coi Leray shared her pregnancy journey with us. But during the black maternal health week, she told the world that she would be a girl girl! We are so excited for her. We can never have a healthy child for granted. From April 11 to 17, we share the critical facts that our community faces with regard to the experience of pregnancy and childbirth in the United States.

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How many women die every day because of avoidable childbirth or other events or conditions related to pregnancy? The CDC estimates about 800. This surprising statistics is only a many reasons why maternal health, both in the black community and overall, is taken so seriously, with various related objectives of the main agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Department of Health and Social Services (HHS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Let’s look at the most common problems that pregnant women face, the many risk factors for avoidable complications, some statistics that give reflection and what is done at national and global levels to improve maternal mortality rates.

Common pregnancy health presentations

There are a few discomforts that women can expect during their pregnancy. Women can avoid acidic foods to help stomach burns and eat more fiber to help treat constipation, especially early, to easily treat certain uncomforts at home. Women often turn to family or friends to get advice to help treat such things, finding unique ways to facilitate pain or dry skin. However, even the expected symptoms of pregnancy can affect maternal health, and soften them can increase mood and help pregnant women wait for the birth of their child.

Other symptoms that you might feel:

• Cramps

• Feel weak

• Heat puff

• Incontinent

• Dry skin

• Back pain

• Headache

• Pelvic pain

• Stretch marks

• Fatigue

• Morning nausea

Risk factors for pregnancy -related complications

The office of the general surgeon has published an “appeal for action” recognizing the maternal mortality rates higher than the average in the United States. In this document, they draw attention to the disparities within the black population, suggest what must be done to reduce mortality rates for all mothers and establish a long -term plan with strategies to affect these generations and future.

But when do symptoms become risk and dangerous factors for mothers and children? Therefore, it is essential to work closely with an OB / GYN or other health services throughout your pregnancy, so the risk that they can identify risk factors, monitored and treated as soon as possible.

High blood pressure

More and more women are at risk of hypertension (hypertension) before pregnancy, mainly due to the increase in obesity rates. Many women are later waiting in life to start a family, also contributing to the probability that they will start their pregnancy with high blood pressure, develop it during or suffer a peak during childbirth which can all cause complications. Hypertension during pregnancy is called preeclampsia.

Diabetes

If a woman had no signs before diabetes but develops it during her pregnancy, she will diagnose gestational diabetes. Diabetes considerably increases the risk of complications and is closely linked to preeclampsia. The management of maternal health in this condition is vital, because it can lead to miscarriage, a mortinity, a premature birth, congenital malformations, etc.

Obesity

With higher obesity rates, it particularly becomes a more common maternal health risk factor in the United States. An unhealthy weight can contribute to other conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and mental health that can contribute to other maternal health problems, aggravating the risk of complications of pregnancy.

Disease and infection

From Covid-19 to a cold to more serious infections such as chlamydia or HIV, diseases and infections can affect maternal health and infants. A mother should work closely with a doctor if he is diagnosed with a before or pregnant disease or infection. Most of the time, there are ways to alleviate the risk for the baby before and after birth. However, many of these risks are avoidable causes and can be reduced by education and other community resources, such as sexual and reproductive health.

Drug addicts

A substance consumption disorder can describe everything, nicotine and alcohol to methamphetamine and cocaine. According to the general surgeon’s report, 12% of pregnant women interviewed said they used a certain type of nicotine product in the last month and 10% said they had drunk alcohol. Another 5% reported drug use. Not only does substance consumption affect maternal health, but it increases the baby’s health risk due to the complications of pregnancy.

Mental health

Maternal health and mental health are closely linked. This may include preexisting mood diseases, such as depression or anxiety, or postpartum depression which affects up to 20% of new mothers. In fact, over a period of ten years, they found that almost 10% of all deaths related to pregnancy were due to a mental health. It is only by approaching the stigma of mental health and by offering more care centered on the patient in the United States that we can also support maternal health.

Domestic violence

In some states, especially in the South, domestic violence is the most common cause of maternal death for the black population. This violence often starts during pregnancy or shortly after. The violence between intimate partners among black Americans is one of the many avoidable causes of maternal death and children in the United States, in particular when he is addressed at the socioeconomic level.

More maternal health statistics

The United Nations Fund for the United Nations provides an overview of the global importance of maternal health and that women everywhere are sensitive to the avoidable causes of maternal mortality. Around the world, nearly 300,000 women died in 2017 only, mainly due to:

• Severe bleeding

• Clogged work

• Sepsis

• Dangerous abortion

• Eclampsia

These deaths are significantly lower than those recorded in 2000, but are still unacceptable. Many of these deaths occur in sub -Saharan Africa or South Asia, and global efforts have an impact.

The Commonwealth Fund has analyzed data from WHO, WHO, National Center for Health Statistics and other studies to obtain a better image of which is most at risk. In the United States, mortality rates worsen year after year, from 2000, and aggravated considerably since the start of the COVVI-19 pandemic. Current maternal mortality rates are three times that of the country with the highest mortality rate, New Zealand. The hardest shot is African-Americans, who represent more than half of all maternal deaths.

A national and global response

Maternal health is a concern not only in the United States, where it affects the black population and multiracial people in a disproportionate but worldwide. What do we do to improve health results?

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Health and social services have formed a working group made up of four American federal agencies working together to treat maternal health as a national crisis and the disparity affecting the non -Hispanic black population. The working group has focused not only on support directly to women and infants, but also by approaching other emerging health problems that affect maternal death, such as drug use and sexually transmitted diseases.

American Public Health Association (APHA)

The American Public Health Association focuses on the fight against avoidable causes of maternal death. They do so by investing in sexual and reproductive health education, preventive health care for women, etc. Like other agencies, they have concentrated their efforts on the disproportionate effects of poor maternal health on black Americans, in partnership with the Center for Reproductive Rights for “Black Mamas Matter” and the World Federation of Public Health Associations for “the reduction of maternal mortality as a human right”.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The objective of the United Population National Fund is sexual and reproductive health care, promoting basic health standards worldwide, especially when maternal deaths are the most common. Working in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and other regions, the UNFPA supports programs that form preventive care providers during pregnancy, the response to emergency births and intensive care for newborns. These initiatives have improved health results over the past two decades and more improvement is expected.

The World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organization helps support all members with their individual efforts to treat maternal health, in particular maternal deaths. They closely monitor the progress made and effective initiatives to support those who are most vulnerable. This includes the United States, where the majority of people affected are blacks and deaths continue to increase.

Maternal health: disparity in avoidable deaths

Yes, women experience common symptoms during pregnancy. Most will be suitable that these symptoms are worth discomfort once their child was born in good health. However, many women do not have the same access to care or are at risk of miscarriage, premature work, birth to the Cesarean, congenital malformations, other birth complications or even maternal deaths due to an increase in risk factors that can be avoidable.

Maternal mortality rates have only worsened over the past two decades in the United States and this trend will only change more education on maternal health and better access to care for disproportionate people. Black Health Matters helps do exactly this by raising awareness, contesting the system and providing more resources to the most vulnerable black population.