Study: COVID-19 Raises Maternal Mortality in Latinas


maternal mortality

Prior to the pandemic (2007-2016), Latinas had a comparable maternal mortality rate to White women, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. However, a new analysis from the University of Maryland and Boston University suggests that Latinas now bear a higher maternal mortality rate compared to white women, a trend not seen in over a decade. The Latina maternal mortality rate rose an alarming 74.2% from 2018-March 2020, when the pandemic began, to April-December 2020, according to the study, published in JAMA Network Open. In comparison, White women’s maternal mortality rate rose just 17.2% during the same time. “For the first time in more than a decade, the maternal mortality rate for Hispanic women during the pandemic was higher than that for non-Hispanic white women, a ...

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Study Suggests Risk for Miscarriage is Higher During Summer


latina mother in hot temperature

You’re not imagining it – it is very hot out there. Heat waves swept the nation beginning in early June 2022, putting more than 50 million people under excessive heat warnings and breaking or tying record-high temperatures in more than 25 major cities, according to NPR. For pregnant women, these severely hot temperatures could increase the risk of miscarriage, according to a new study at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH). Researchers found that pregnant people in North America had a 44% higher risk of an early miscarriage (within eight weeks of pregnancy) in the summer months, particularly in late August compared to February. This trend was similar during any week of pregnancy, where risk of miscarriage was 31% higher in late August compared to ...

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Unaffordable Childcare Hurts Latinas, Hinders Prosperity


Childcare

The cost of childcare in the US has skyrocketed – up to 46% – since 2018, and the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame. At the same time, Americans are also struggling to afford baby formula, menstrual hygiene products, gas, and groceries. Women, especially low-income women, are most affected by rising childcare costs. Women of nearly all races and ethnicities experience higher rates of poverty than men, with the highest rates among minority women, such as Latinas, according to the Center for American Progress. While Latinas represent 18.1% of all women in the US population, they constitute 27.1% of women in poverty. What Does Rising Childcare Costs Mean for Latinas? The cost of childcare, which is rising in nearly all states due to pandemic worker shortages and childcare ...

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Latinas, Take Control of your Prenatal Health


COVID-19 Pregnancy latina prenatal health

Sascha Ellington, PhD Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CDC is encouraging people who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant now, or may become pregnant in the future to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Latinas have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 with the second-highest rate of cases reaching over 65,000. Learn how COVID-19 vaccinations can provide additional peace of mind for you and your family during pregnancy. Navigating COVID-19 and Pregnancy Did you know people who are pregnant or were recently pregnant are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 than people who are not pregnant? If you become sick with COVID-19 during pregnancy, you are more likely to experience preterm birth and stillbirth and might be at ...

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Baby Formula Shortage Highlights Health Inequities for Mothers of Color


Embarrassed to breastfeed shortage latina mothers

Parents of babies across the US are struggling to feed their children due to a baby-formula shortage. The pain of the shortage is particularly felt among low-income families, such as Blacks and Latinos, who already suffer inequities in maternal and child health. The shortage began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when America seemingly ran out of everything – from toilet paper to fresh produce. In late February 2022, a baby formula recall, which caused two infant deaths, worsened the shortage. In many states, including Texas and Tennessee, where infants depend on formula for more than half of their diet, formula is sold out in stores. For parents such as Yury Navas, an immigrant Latina mother in Maryland, providing formula for her child is especially ...

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Report: Government Can Play a Critical Role in Maternal Health for Women of Color


Maternal Health Women Color

In the last 30 years, maternal health disparities have increased for women of color, according to a new report by the US Commission on Civil Rights. For example, There are 10.3 deaths per 100,000 for Latina women. For white women there are only 6 deaths per 100,000. Moreover, Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die than their white peers from pregnancy-related complications. The report also illustrates how government, especially federal government, can play a critical role in changing this fact, according to Norma V. Cantú, chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “[At the federal level] efforts can be made to improve hospital quality, particularly for women of color if maternal health disparities are to be eliminated,” Cantú said. “Improvements in safety ...

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Workshop: How to Advance Systemic Change to Reduce Obesity


obesity workshop roundtable latina girl grocery store fruit

Latinos and other people of color suffer high rates of obesity. This is often due to racist policies and discriminatory practices that create less access to healthcare, healthy food, affordable housing, and financial resources for families of color. What can we do about this? You are invited to join a virtual workshop, "Systems and Obesity: Advances and Innovations for Equitable Health and Well-Being," on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021 (10 a.m. To 2:45 p.m. ET) and Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 (1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET). This is the third workshop in a series from the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Find the results of the first and second workshop. "The workshop will explore how to ...

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Report: 1 in 5 Latino Youth Have Obesity


Latino youth have obesity rwjf report from seattle

One in six U.S. youth have obesity, but the issue is worse among Latinos and other youth of color, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). More than one in five Latino (21.4%), Black (23.8%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (28.7%) children ages 10-17 have obesity. The reasons? Structural racism and systemic health inequities. Racist policies and discriminatory practices affect our food system, access to healthcare, affordable housing, and critical family supports like childcare, the RWJF report says. Together, the effects of these policies and practices force families into hard choices on how to spend limited resources, especially during COVID-19. “The state of childhood obesity in America is an urgent call to action for leaders at all ...

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How to Build Support for Pregnant Women, Maternal Health in Rural Areas


Maternal Health Rural Areas

Women who give birth face numerous risks leading up to, during, and after delivery. Pregnancy complications can bring about physical and mental effects, including post-partum depression, infections, preterm labor, and other significant risks. Without proper medical care, these risks can increase — especially for women of color and those living in rural communities. That’s why the Rural Health Information Hub released its Rural Maternal Health Toolkit to promote creation of and support for maternal health programs for pregnant women and new mothers in rural communities. “Rural women experience poorer maternal health outcomes compared to their urban counterparts, including higher pregnancy-related mortality,” Lexie Schmidt, an outreach specialist the Rural Health ...

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