healthcare disparities among African American pregnant women and their babies

healthcare disparities among African American pregnant women and their babies

In the United States, African American pregnant women and their babies are experiencing unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes. These include disproportionately higher rates of deaths that are related to pregnancy and childbirth. Different factors contribute to the high rates of poor health outcomes, such as social and health system factors. They contrite to the maternal mortality for the African American pregnant women that have high chances of experiencing barriers to obtain quality care and, in most cases, face racial discrimination throughout their lives. Because of racism and sexism, this has also contributed to income inequality where the African American pregnant women get only 63 cents for every dollar, which is paid to white and non-Hispanic men. This means that African American pregnant women and their families have less income for supporting themselves and their families where they have to choose between satisfying their basic needs like food and healthcare. Hence, African American pregnant women are prone to receive unequal care and have more complications when and after giving birth. These complications include low birth weight, having preterm delivery, which leads to health issues on the baby. These cases are of high rates for African American women as compared to white pregnant women.

Significance

The topic of healthcare disparities among African American pregnant women and their babies is significant because it helps point out the risks that face the mother and the child at birth. Health literacy and access to healthcare facilities that cater to African American pregnant women will help reduce health risks on the mother and child.

Significance 1

This topic is significant since it indicates the risks which disparity places on pregnant African American women and their babies. These differences in how health care is administered to mothers and their babies based on racism put the African American women at health risk. During childbirth, these mothers have high chances of getting complications that might not be addressed as supposed hence affecting the babies. Further, health disparities also include differences in how the babies are handled during and after birth, which can cause health issues to the baby. It is so since African American pregnant women are considered to be socially disadvantaged, then less attention is given when giving birth. This increases their health risks and babies.

Significance 2

The topic is significant; it helps to understand the need for equal healthcare and how to avoid racism discrimination in healthcare facilities. There is a need for offering equitable healthcare for all pregnant, be they African American or white without showing health disparities because of their race. African American pregnant babies need to have maternal health, which they are offered during their pregnancies, during the childbirth process as well as in the postpartum period. Without disparities and racial discrimination, African American pregnant women and their babies should get the best healthcare.

Further, the topic is significant since it helps address different factors that influence maternal health that healthcare facilities offer. They include the level of poverty and their ability to access healthcare.  The cultural norms, geographical remoteness of the pregnant African American women accelerate maternal mortality as well as risks of maternal deaths, which can happen during pregnancy and childbirth. Further, having equal healthcare will impact the child’s health and development. Hence there is a need for prenatal care of pregnant African American women, paying attention to childbirth and STDs transmission during birth. Additionally, there is a need for postpartum care to avoid the death of the mother, which results from excessive bleeding during and after childbirth.

Diagnosis

There is significant research that demonstrates the health disparities that happen to pregnant African American women and their babies.

Problem 1

The first issue entails the effects of the health disparities on pregnant African American women and their babies. Research indicates that they lead to high preterm delivery rates, which occur due to poor prenatal health offered. Further, failure to get good fetal health can result to low birth weight of the baby since they did not receive the necessary care while in the womb. Such incidents lead to lifetime issues on the mother and the babies. These include stress on the mother, the baby contracting STDs and HIV during birth, or even the death of the mother.

Problem 2

Different factors cause healthcare disparities for African American pregnant women and their babies. An Individual’s social, economic factors contribute to the quality of health care that one accesses. For African American women, they have low income, which they have to choose between satisfying other basic needs like food and shelter and accessing healthcare. This subjects them into unfavorable situations making it hard to access healthcare. Further, geographical remoteness of where the African American women stay submit them to lack of good healthcare facility.

Summary

This diagnosis report identifies that health disparities on African American women and their babies have adverse effects on their wellbeing. The first issue being the effects of not getting good health care like long preterm deliveries and low birth weight for the baby. The second issues address the reasons behind health disparities in how healthcare is offered to pregnant mothers.

References

Mazul, M. C., Ward, T. C. S., & Ngui, E. M. (2017). Anatomy of good prenatal care: Perspectives of low-income African-American women on barriers and facilitators to prenatal care. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 4(1), 79-86.

Cooper, C. E. (2018). Preterm Birth and Infant Mortality among African American and Caucasian Women: A Critique of the Systematic Devaluing of African American Women and Infants. The Graduate Review, 3(1), 39-47.

Hairston, K. M. (2019). The Perspectives of African American Women: Their Pregnancy Experience and Their Babies’ Birth Outcomes.