MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Wisconsin’s infant mortality rate is the worst in the nation for African-American babies. The most recent data from the CDC shows in our state, black infants are almost three times more likely to die than white infants. A new alliance is working to change that.
After about two years of community outreach and research, there’s hope on the horizon. The new Black Maternal and Child Health Alliance of Dane County is ready to get to work creating better outcomes for black moms and babies in the Badger State. The Alliance includes officials from the Dane County Health Department, hospital leaders, and advocates.
The group announced its first big initiatives Thursday. Using a $1 million grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program, it’s working on a computer program that will help providers better screen patients, and be able to connect them to different resources. That system will run on Epic software, which is headquartered in Verona, and used by medical professionals all over the world.
Doulas are the second part of the Alliance’s new plans. “Although black infant mortality is a national issue, Wisconsin is home to some of the worst disparities for black and brown families,” said Tia Murray, founder of Harambee Village Doulas.
The Alliance decided to focus on doulas because of the empirical evidence that shows doula support can have an impact on infant mortality, maternal mortality, and low birthweight. ““Research suggests that women who are coupled with doulas are less likely to have a pre-term birth or give birth to a low weight baby than those who do not have access to a doula,” said Lisa Peyton-Caire, founder of the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness.
With about $25,000 in allocated funding, they will be able to train 15-20 doulas this year. They’re focusing on getting more doulas of color who can serve their community. “Black mothers, black doulas, and black birth workers should be at the forefront of this movement,” said Murray.
Michaela Berry is the executive director of Harambee Village Doulas. “Harambee is a Swahili word that means ‘let’s pull together’, and that’s exactly what we’re doing this morning, and as we go forward,” Berry said.
Officials wanted to stress that having a doula isn’t a mutually exclusive choice. Having a hospital delivery with medical professionals, plus a doula, can only help new moms.
“Really what doulas do is they fill in the gaps. When we think about the history of birth, What’s interesting is that the US is actually one of the least safe places for any woman to give birth,” said Murray. “When we have somebody who’s filling in those gaps, particularly somebody who’s filling in those social emotional gaps … the research has identified to really produce better obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.”
Dr. Jasmine Zapata is a pediatrician at the UW Health nursery. She’s seen first-hand the impact doulas can have on a new mom. “I had a mother who desired to breastfeed, but didn’t have a lot of support in her family. As we were talking about breastfeeding, in that same few hours, we noticed the baby was gonna have to go to the NICU for a medical issue. When the mom got up to the NICU, she was so overwhelmed. She was crying, and it was a very tough time,” Dr. Zapata said. One of the Harambee Village Doulas came to the rescue. “They got there within an hour or two after I made that call, and were able to hug that mom, support her, help her understand what was going on.”
Harambee’s trained doulas support families before, during, and after birth. However, they’re community-based: they can also help coordinate resources for those parents too. While the Alliance did all that community outreach, people said they didn’t know what services were available to them and how to find them. Having more doulas serving the community should help change that.
There are so many socioeconomic factors that impact why the infant mortality and low birthweight rates are so high in Wisconsin. “This is not simply a healthcare industry issue,” said Peyton-Caire. “This is a community systemic issue that touches all sectors: economic, housing, education, criminal justice, the whole gamut. We have to look at it from that approach.”
Officials from the Alliance said this is just phase one of solutions that will take years to come up with and implement. But the fact that these doulas can help soon can allow hundreds of babies a chance at a healthier life. “Infant health is a true measure of the health of a community, a county, a state,” said Murray. “We can do better.”
There is a roundtable discussion with the Alliance and the Dane County Health Council in April. The first Black Maternal Health Summit is scheduled for 2021.
To find out more about becoming a doula, click here.