Tufts University researchers looking to reduce racial disparities in maternal health care
Massachusetts has some of the best health care in the country, but it's far from perfect. Black women in particular experience complications during childbirth two-and-a-half times more often than their white counterparts, and they face a pregnancy-related death rate that's more than three times the rate of white mothers.
Researchers at at the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University School Of Medicine are searching for ways to prevent these kinds of tragedies, and they're already seeing results.
Like any excited mother-to-be, Shamony Gibson was looking forward to expanding her family. Already a proud mother of one and expecting her second, she and her partner, Omari Maynard, were ready to welcome their son into the world.
"We figured this out, you know. We understand what it takes to be able to co-create and build and be a family and you know, so our future felt really bright," Maynard said.
Sadly, Gibson died from a blood clot in her lungs as a complication from an unplanned C-section.
Just 13 days before her death, Gibson made a video for her unborn child, saying, "I'm excited for you to be born tomorrow."
"Didn't know, of course, that that would be the last video that we made together, and that that video would document the first time, and I want to say possibly the last time, that, you know, she had a conversation with her son," Maynard said.
Despite his heartbreak, Maynard hopes his loss will lead to change.
"If we're going to really shift and help redirect birthing outcomes and really want to see change within this maternal health epidemic, we need to figure out how to tell the stories of all these Shamonys," he said.
The MOTHER Lab, a unit within the Center for Black Maternal health and Reproductive Justice, looks at racial disparities in maternal health care. Founder and director Dr. Ndidiamaka N. Amutah-Onukagha says those disparities can have deadly consequences.
"Your place of delivery makes a difference in your outcomes. What you have access to, the quality of the physicians, the quality of the resources," she said. "These lapses and biases, frankly, are costing people their lives."
In 2023, a state Department of Public Health report revealed the rates of severe maternal morbidity in Massachusetts rose 25% over the last decade.
"Putting faces behind statistics, because we all know, like, that Black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts," research assistant Emily Teixeira said.
MOTHER Lab's research has already helped implement change in Massachusetts.
Last summer, Gov. Maura Healey signed the "Momnibus Bill," which promotes access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options.
But Amutah-Onukagha knows there's still work to be done.
"It also reinvigorates you for the work because we need to be really clear and really vigilant about not only how Black women, frankly, the health care system is failing all women," she said.
Amutah-Onukagha says all of this is easily prevented and that's why they're raising awareness with their Eighth Annual Black Maternal Health Conference this weekend ahead of Black Maternal Health Week next week. More information can be found at
motherlab.org
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business Wire
Party With a Purpose: Republic Bank hosts fifth annual Juneteenth Event to improve health outcomes in West Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Republic Bank & Trust Company ('Republic' or 'the Bank') hosted the fifth annual Juneteenth Event at the Republic Bank Foundation YMCA. Republic partnered with Kentucky African Americans Against Cancer (KAAAC) and other community organizations to offer free screenings and educational resources to improve the health of West Louisville residents. 'Republic Bank welcomes the opportunity to host this important community event each year in celebration of Juneteenth,' Republic Bank President and CEO Logan Pichel said. 'Republic Bank welcomes the opportunity to host this important community event each year in celebration of Juneteenth,' Republic Bank President and CEO Logan Pichel said. 'We are committed to investing in West Louisville, improving the quality of life and enabling the communities we serve to thrive. Not only are we able to help Louisvillians access life-saving health screenings and resources, but today's event offered everyone an opportunity to celebrate with the community.' According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with the risk for Black men being significantly higher. Moreover, a recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) study concluded that Black men have a higher prevalence of prostate cancer because of lower prostate exam screening rates. Additionally, the average dental screening costs about $130, and according to the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition, poor oral health is linked to a number of health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the highest prevalence of fatal oral cancers is among Black Americans, and they are three times more likely to have untreated cavities. In addition to free prostate screenings provided by KAAAC, KARE Mobile offered complementary dental screenings for all attendees. Attendees also enjoyed activities, food and vendors operated by Black- and women-owned businesses. 'We're thrilled to celebrate Juneteenth in West Louisville for the fifth year in a row,' Republic Bank Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity Ashley Duncan said. 'We're grateful for our community partners like KAAAC and Kare Mobile that are helping us reach underserved communities and save lives.' About Republic Bank Republic Bancorp, Inc. (the 'Company') is the parent company of Republic Bank & Trust Company (the 'Bank'). The Bank currently has 47 banking centers in communities within five metropolitan statistical areas ('MSAs') across five states: 22 banking centers located within the Louisville MSA in Louisville, Prospect, Shelbyville, and Shepherdsville in Kentucky, and Floyds Knobs, Jeffersonville, and New Albany in Indiana; six banking centers within the Lexington MSA in Georgetown and Lexington in Kentucky; eight banking centers within the Cincinnati MSA in Cincinnati and West Chester in Ohio, and Bellevue, Covington, Crestview Hills, and Florence in Kentucky; seven banking centers within the Tampa MSA in Largo, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, Seminole, and Tampa in Florida; and four banking centers within the Nashville MSA in Franklin, Murfreesboro, Nashville and Spring Hill, Tennessee. In addition, Republic Bank Finance has one loan production office in St. Louis, Missouri. The Bank offers online banking at The Company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and as of March 31, 2025, had approximately $7.1 billion in total assets. The Company's Class A Common Stock is listed under the symbol 'RBCAA' on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Writer shares troubling story about invisible threat impacting neighborhood where she grew up: 'We lived in the shadow'
Growing up, writer Reniqua Allen-Lamphere worried about gun violence. But as an adult, she's realized that the biggest danger to her childhood was invisible — but no less dangerous. Allen-Lamphere shared her story in The Guardian. Growing up in a peaceful community in Englewood, New Jersey, she spent most afternoons playing in a local park, where she would splash in the brook and enjoy the sunshine. But just beyond, the threat lurked. "We lived in the shadow of factories bordering our beloved park," she explained. "Companies such as the LeDoux Corporation, a chemical testing company that had worked on everything from the Manhattan Project to the moon landing, were just steps from the swings." And as more people began to suffer from seemingly unrelated, mysterious health issues — from endometriosis to diabetes — people began to wonder if those factories had something to do with them. One family friend of Allen-Lamphere's shared: "As kids, we always played in the brook and thought it was fun when the water changed colors and stained our hands. … Our neighborhood smelled like rotten eggs every day when we came home from school, which I now know was the smell of sulfur. I can only imagine the toxins we were exposed to." Nowadays, scientists have a better idea of the links between environmental pollution and health. Air pollution is now known to be linked with a plethora of issues, from respiratory illness to dementia, certain cancers, and cardiovascular issues, per the National Institute of Environmental Health. But Allen-Lamphere had personally suffered from severe menstrual pain and endometriosis, and a recent study from Human Rights Watch found that this, too, may have been exacerbated by the pollution. Researchers found links between air pollution and gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and fibroids. And other common toxins and contaminants, including heavy metals and industrial chemicals, have been linked with infertility and endocrine disruption, leading to pregnancy complications. And unfortunately, people of color are disproportionately affected by this. Black people are 75% more likely to live within close range of industrial facilities, meaning that the air they breathe is, on average, 38% more polluted than the air in majority-white communities, per the Climate Reality Project. Researchers are looking into ways to reduce air pollution while simultaneously contributing to a greener future. From a team looking to convert methane into airplane fuel to another team reverse-engineering real dairy butter out of air-based carbon molecules, the potential solutions are vast and varied. But at its root, reducing air pollution means reducing it at the source and decreasing the amount of toxins and emissions generated in the first place. Both governmental regulations — such as the EPA's recent closing of loopholes on highly polluting steel plants — and initiatives by corporations, like transitioning shipping fleets to clean fuels, will be necessary for this. And as a citizen and a consumer, you can use your voting power and your money to contribute your own power to this effort. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Long-lasting HIV prevention shot heads toward approval
June 6 (UPI) -- A new vaccine to prevent HIV is expected to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration later this month. If approved, the shot -- lenacapavir -- would be given twice a year and could be a big step forward in the fight against HIV. Drugmaker Gilead Sciences tested the shot in a study of women and girls. None of the participants who received the injections got HIV. That early success helped boost Gilead's stock by 73% over the past year, The Wall Street Journal reported. "We know it's challenging to take a daily pill for prevention, and we see an incredible opportunity here," said Johanna Mercier, Gilead's chief commercial officer Right now, more than 400,000 people in the United States use pills to prevent HIV, The Wall Street Journal added. These medications are referred to as PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis. Gilead expects the number of users to top 1 million by the next decade. Many people already say they'd prefer a shot over daily pills. In one survey of more than 500 PrEP users, 95% said they would switch to a long-acting injection. Sales of other long-acting options, like the shot Apretude from GSK, have risen sharply - up 63% in the past year. Even with strong results, Gilead faces several hurdles. One is reaching the people who need PrEP the most. Black Americans represent 39% of new HIV cases but only 14% of current PrEP users. Many people still face stigma or lack insurance coverage, which can limit access. Gilead says reaching underserved groups is a top goal. Most current PrEP users have commercial insurance, but Medicaid will be key for expanding access to lower-income communities. Another concern: Some experts worry the new shot may simply replace current Gilead products, like the daily pill Descovy, which now holds about 40% to 45% of the market. But Gilead says the shot should help expand the overall number of people using PrEP in both the U.S. and abroad. "We're thinking globally about the public health impact we can have," Mercier said. The company is working with governments and health groups in the United Kingdom and low-income countries to raise awareness and make these products more available. More information The National Institutes of Health has more on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
