Maternal Mortality Crisis in the US: Amnesty International Issues New Report
March 18th, 2010
By Ruth Lubic. The release this week of Amnesty International’s new report, Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA, highlights the poor outcomes of African American women in particular.
When I set up The Developing Families Center in Washington DC’s Ward 5, it was with the goal of addressing this very issue, particularly from the point of view of infant mortality.
At a rate of 12.22 per thousand live births, the District has the highest infant mortality of any of the states, with only Mississippi, at 10.74 also experiencing a double digit rate.
The Center has been successful in reducing poor infant outcomes, especially as compared to the District’s African American population as a whole. Our data show the success of our staff of nurse-midwives, who function with the consultation of obstetrical colleagues at Washington Hospital Center, and nurse practitioners in lowering cesarean section and improving infant health. Breast feeding peer counselors, through influencing the Family Health and Birth Center’s (FHBC) high breast feeding rates also add to the health of mother and infant.
Our research also demonstrates the significant savings which have been achieved–all through collaboration with its community and its collaborating partners, the Healthy Babies Project and the United Planning Organization’s Early Childhood Development Services. There has been no incident of maternal mortality.
I hope this paper from Amnesty International will, in the long run, improve not only the infant and maternal outcomes, but also the quality of life of the families we serve.
May I also remind readers of the health needs of men in Ward 5, where the life expectancy for males, recently at 56 years, is lower than in Kenya!
The Urban Institute is currently studying FHBC’s outcomes and I will report on those once they are final.
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