Prenatal care and safe birthing environments are essential for the health and well-being of pregnant women, especially those from marginalized communities. In Arkansas, the state ranks lowest in the nation for maternal mortality, with Black women being twice as likely to experience pregnancy-associated death compared to white women. According to data from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI), in 2021, only 84 out of 100 new mothers began prenatal care in their first trimester, while 10 smoked cigarettes during the last three months of pregnancy and 25 reported experiencing depression.
To address this issue, ACHI President Joe Thompson emphasizes the need to identify risks in pregnant women early on and ensure access to prenatal care and safe birthing environments. Chronic conditions before pregnancy, healthcare access barriers, and trust issues with physicians are among the factors contributing to the higher pregnancy-associated death rate among Black mothers in Arkansas.
In response to this crisis, there has been a push for more doulas in the state to support pregnant women, facilitate relationships between mothers and physicians, and advocate for mothers throughout their pregnancy journeys. Doulas are non-clinical caregivers trained in childbirth who provide various forms of support to mothers during pregnancy. ACHI has announced its support for providing Medicaid coverage for doula services and increasing the number of doulas in Arkansas to improve maternal health outcomes.
The importance of addressing these issues cannot be overstated. The Black Maternal Health Week highlights that every woman deserves access to quality healthcare during her reproductive years. By providing better resources and support for pregnant Black women in Arkansas, we can work towards reducing maternal mortality rates and improving overall health outcomes for all communities.
