Documentary examines racial disparity in childbirth health
A new documentary film examines troubling numbers showing racial disparity in childbirth outcomes and healthcare.
Pregnancy can be a risky thing for any mother, but alarming numbers show the disparities between Black women and white women.
There have been remarkable advances in medical technology in recent years. But little has been done to lower the significantly higher risk for Black women during childbirth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women, and they're twice as likely to have a stillbirth.
Income doesn't help these numbers much. According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, in California, the richest Black mothers and their babies are twice as likely to die than white mothers and their babies.
"We should be able to get pregnant and have healthy babies and not be fearful that we're going to lose our lives," said community health advocate Leigh Purry.
Advocates trying to raise awareness on racial disparities have made a new documentary called Birthing Justice.
Birthing Justice follows women through their pregnancies and exposes racial bias and barriers for Black women to adequate healthcare. The makers of the film say they hope it motivates people to take action to fix this problem -- and that mothers shouldn't be at higher risk because of the color of their skin.
