Four Actions We Can Take Now to Improve Black Maternal Health

“Kira Johnson lost her life to the Black maternal health crisis not because she was unhealthy, uninsured, or unlucky, but because she was unheard,” said U.S. Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, who represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District. 

This week — Black Maternal Health Week — marks the eighth anniversary of Kira’s death following a hemorrhage just hours after delivering her second son. Kira was an entrepreneur, world traveler, mother, and a healthy Black woman. 

Regardless of social and economic status, Black women are still three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Eighty percent of these maternal deaths are preventable. 

Adams, co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, and Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, Senior Advisor and former President and CEO of CareQuest Institute, discussed the Black maternal health crisis during the latest episode of Chew On This: A Conversation with Representative Alma S. Adams. They also talked about the connection between Black maternal health and oral health and what we can do to advance meaningful health equity policies in the US. 

Here are some highlights from their conversation. (Visit carequest.org to watch the full episode.) 

Minter-Jordan: Can you tell us more about your work as co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus? 

Adams: Black women in America are dying at a rate much higher than other wealthy nations. We’re among only 13 countries in the world where the rate of maternal mortality is worse than it was 25 years ago. Inequities in our health care system have stolen countless moms. In response, we developed the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a collection of 13 bills that provides a road map so that our health care systems will finally make Black maternal health and infant health a priority. 

Minter-Jordan: We know from CareQuest Institute research that approximately 60–75% of pregnant people experience oral health issues that raise the likelihood of poor birth outcomes and major complications. How does oral health access factor into maternal health access and outcomes? 

Adams: Oral health has a huge impact on maternal and infant health outcomes, and we haven’t talked about it enough. Gum disease may be linked to preterm birth and low birth weight. We need to continue to have these conversations, spread awareness, and advocate for dental coverage for everyone. In my home state of North Carolina, for example, they extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from two months to a full year. 

Minter-Jordan: You’re a primary sponsor of the Kira Johnson Act, a bill that aims to confront the Black maternal mortality crisis head-on. Can you tell us more about the legislation and the community-based organizations involved? 

Adams: The Kira Johnson Act funds grant programs to implement racial bias training and community- based organizations that support doulas, midwives, and other prenatal health workers. It’s going to address social determinants of health, like housing, transportation, and nutrition. And it will fund respectful maternity care programs in hospitals, where pregnant and postpartum parents can report instances of racial bias. I believe Kira’s care team needed this training. 

Minter-Jordan: As a member of the Committee on Agriculture, what are your thoughts on the connection between food insecurity and oral health? 

Adams: You can’t be healthy if you’re hungry. SNAP and other programs ought to ensure that participants can have a greater benefit and buy more nutritious food. The Closing the Meal Gap Act ensures that a higher amount of income can be spent on medical care and not count against calculating SNAP benefits. SNAP benefits ($6 a person per day, only $2 per meal) also need to realistically reflect the current cost of buying nutritious food. 

When moms have access to nutritious foods, they are able to have a healthier pregnancy, and their children are able to have a healthier life. That’s what we want — healthier communities. 

How to Improve Black Maternal Health 

Throughout the conversation, Adams and Minter-Jordan highlighted four ways stakeholders can take action to improve Black maternal health — now: 

1. Constituents: Put pressure on lawmakers to act urgently and address the crisis — tell your representative to pass the full Momnibus package into law. 
2. Advocates and policymakers: Work in the state legislatures to continue the expansion of Medicaid coverage to pregnant and postpartum people. 
3. Philanthropists: Empower and fund community organizations that are already doing good work and seeing positive results improving Black maternal health. 
4. Health care providers: Increase awareness and education about racial bias and the connection between oral health and pregnancy outcomes. Only one-third (35%) of obstetricians and nurse midwives discuss oral health with their pregnant patients, and 77% of obstetricians report that some patients had been “declined” treatment by dentists, although dental care during pregnancy is safe. 

Editor’s note: To learn more about the topic, register for our upcoming webinar, Exploring the Myths and Misconceptions about Oral Health and Pregnancy.