07/03/2020
We just spent 9 months reviewing the research on postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and the use of Pitocin in the third stage of labor (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-pitocin-during-the-third-stage-of-labor/). During this review, we learned that a high-quality study found that Black birthing people with PPH were five times more likely to die of PPH than White birthing people with PPH (Gyamfi-Bannerman et al., 2018).
It’s racial bias, or racism, that leads to a higher rate of severe illness or die from PPH. How? Racial bias in the assessment of PPH is a major concern, because poor recognition of PPH delays treatment. Racism in the lack of prompt treatment of PPH is also a huge problem (As Jennie Joseph-Midwife told us in a recent podcast interview, some health care workers will say, “Oh, we don’t need to get the hemorrhage cart just yet. She’ll be fine”).
Other researchers have found that Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Asian women in the maternity care system were twice as likely as White women to report that a health care provider ignored them, refused to answer their request for help, or failed to respond to their request for help in a reasonable amount of time (Vedam et al. 2019).
Racism, not race, causes this shocking disparity in PPH-related deaths. It’s time for health care workers and health care institutions to address this racism head on. Black midwives and Black nurses and Black doctors know the solutions. Today, we encourage you to follow the work of Black maternal health advocates Timoria McQueen, Maternal Health Advocate and 4Kira4Moms. Support their work!
Source: Gyamfi-Bannerman, C., Srinivas, S. K., Wright, J. D., et al. (2018). Postpartum hemorrhage outcomes and race. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 219(2), 185.e1–185.e10.
We just spent 9 months reviewing the research on postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and the use of Pitocin in the third stage of labor (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-pitocin-during-the-third-stage-of-labor/). During this review, we learned that a high-quality study found that Black birthing people with PPH were five times more likely to die of PPH than White birthing people with PPH (Gyamfi-Bannerman et al., 2018).
It’s racial bias, or racism, that leads to a higher rate of severe illness or die from PPH. How? Racial bias in the assessment of PPH is a major concern, because poor recognition of PPH delays treatment. Racism in the lack of prompt treatment of PPH is also a huge problem (As Jennie Joseph-Midwife told us in a recent podcast interview, some health care workers will say, “Oh, we don’t need to get the hemorrhage cart just yet. She’ll be fine”).
Other researchers have found that Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Asian women in the maternity care system were twice as likely as White women to report that a health care provider ignored them, refused to answer their request for help, or failed to respond to their request for help in a reasonable amount of time (Vedam et al. 2019).
Racism, not race, causes this shocking disparity in PPH-related deaths. It’s time for health care workers and health care institutions to address this racism head on. Black midwives and Black nurses and Black doctors know the solutions. Today, we encourage you to follow the work of Black maternal health advocates Timoria McQueen, Maternal Health Advocate and 4Kira4Moms. Support their work!
Source: Gyamfi-Bannerman, C., Srinivas, S. K., Wright, J. D., et al. (2018). Postpartum hemorrhage outcomes and race. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 219(2), 185.e1–185.e10.
