Centering Pregnancy Aims to Combat High Maternal Mortality Rates for Black Mothers

By Halena Sepulveda

Maternal mortality is a problem that women face across the nation however some women face significantly higher rates than others. 

As of 2018, Ohio’s maternal mortality rate shows 14 deaths for every 100,000 live births. Although the current maternal mortality rate is below the national rate (17.5 per 100,000), the breakdown of the issue by race shows how maternal mortality has a greater effect on black mothers in Ohio as well as on a national scale. 

The increase in maternal mortality rates of black women in the state have called for organizations and medical professionals to give more attention to the issue. By implementing programs like Centering Pregnancy in underrepresented communities in northeast Ohio, medical professionals are taking a step towards decreasing maternal mortality rates in black women by targeting leading factors and educating the community. The programs also make information and support regarding the issue of maternal mortality risks more accessible for women in lower income communities. 

“This is an issue of systematic racism and the effect it has on black mothers in the community,” says Ericka Malone, community health worker at Summa Health Center.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, black women in the United States are three times more likely to experience maternal mortality than white women. One of the leading factors of these high maternal mortality rates for black mothers points to the effect of chronic stress on both mental and physical health. 

Cortisol is the stress hormone that gets released when women are facing chronic stress. This stress is often a result of issues like food scarcity, housing insecurity, or other obstacles many women face when living in marginalized or underrepresented communities.  

 “If you’re exposed to housing insecurity or food insecurity or systems that are failing you, structural racism is included…you’re going to have higher levels of cortisol,” says Holly Pangrace, Mental Health Coordinator for Centering Pregnancy at University Hospitals’ Ahuja Rainbow Center for Women and Children. 

“We’re trying to get moms that emotional support so that they can steel themselves against all those environmental stressors.”

Alongside other women’s health specialists, Pangrace has the opportunity to provide that support to black mothers in the community through the Centering Pregnancy program which is available through several hospitals in the area.

The program is one of Ohio’s models of prenatal care that has been proven to improve black maternal mortality rates over the last several years and continues to have a positive impact on the community. 

“It’s a model that we’ve been using at Summa for the past 15 years in different capacities.” Says Dr. Cheryl Johnson, OBGYN at Summa Health Center. She says that the need for a focus on black mothers in the community was brought to attention to Summa Health officials in 2015 after the increase of black infant mortality

“It was very clear based on how poor we were performing with our African American moms in certain zip codes that this was a population that would benefit from centering.”

The Centering Pregnancy program was originally developed by a mid-wife and has been proven to increase patient satisfaction, to lower preterm birth and labor rates, and to lower the rate of maternal mortality, making it a viable asset to educate women about many facets of reproductive healthcare. 

Through group sessions Centering Pregnancy aims to bring mothers in marginalized groups together to support one another and learn about maternal and infant healthcare. 

Johnson says that the program serves as a space for mothers to ask questions, express concerns and feel connected to other mothers going through similar experiences. 

“It brings moms into community.” 

Along with serving as a support team for mothers during pregnancy, Centering Pregnancy also works to educate women about everything from postpartum depression to breastfeeding and domestic violence education. Educational sessions between mothers and medical professionals work to inform women about infant mortality rates and discusses important topics like the effect of pregnancy on mental health and how it can impact the infant.

These educational sessions call attention to the needs of black mothers in communities that are often underrepresented and under supported, especially in terms of women’s access to and education on reproductive healthcare.  

“Programs like Centering Pregnancy have been proven to make a difference in maternal mortality rates and maternal health,” says Malone. “It acts as extra support for those mothers that need it…and it definitely makes a positive impact on the community.”