Black Maternal Health: Urgent Need for Change

0:00It's April 18th, I'm Cory with The Story, and this is Tevbe News today, your AI-powered local news. Black Maternal Health Week just wrapped up, shining a light on the star gaps in care for pregnant black women. The latest CDC data from March shows black moms are over three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white or Hispanic. Women 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for black women compared to 14.2 for white women and 12. Week 1 for Hispanic women. Doctors in the Bay Area are calling out the need for better access to care, stronger trust in the system, and more black women in medical research. High profile cases from athletes like Serena Williams, Alison Felix, and Olympic sprinter Tori Bowie have put these issues front and center, showing. Even fit women face deadly risks like high blood pressure. Local OB-GYNs like Dr. Marilyn Fudge, Jackson from St. Petersburg, and Dr. Natasha Spencer from Orlando share how complications hit harder and gestational diabetes strike black and

1:05Hispanic women at higher rates. Personal stories highlight the stress and lack of early care that lets problems build up. While overall maternal deaths dip slightly this year, experts say there's miles to go, especially with women having babies later in life adding risks. Building trust through more physicians from the community is making a difference, but research gaps on how black women respond to treatments persist. Heads up for tomorrow's African-American health form in St. Pete from 9.30am to 2pm at the foundation for a healthy St. Seen. Petersburg, they're offering free screenings and talks to keep pushing for real change in maternal health.