July 2024

OB-GYN

NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE’S INVOLVEMENT IN BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK: A RECAP

Featuring: Jacqueline C. Hairston, MD

​The Importance of Black Maternal Health
The focus on Black maternal health is crucial due to the stark disparities in maternal mortality rates. In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 69 deaths per 100,000 live births, a rate 2.6 times higher than that for non-Hispanic white women. Furthermore, Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, with over 80% of these deaths being preventable.

Jacqueline C. Hairston, MD, is a leading voice in the field and an assistant professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medicine. When asked about the disparities in maternal mortality rates in an interview with Chicago’s FOX 32, Dr. Hairston explains, “We don’t have a good way of quantifying systemic racism and what we’re using as a proxy is race. We have a long way to go in terms of research, but we know that there are things we can do to improve the health of Black birthing people.”

Recognizing Black Maternal Health Week at Northwestern Medicine
As National Minority Health Month in the United States, April is a time to highlight efforts that advance health equity across the country. A key event during this month is Black Maternal Health Week, which takes place annually from April 11 to 17. This week aims to call attention to the needs of Black birthing people, inspire efforts to address those needs and highlight community organizations that make Black maternal health a priority.

The Northwestern Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology played an active role in Black Maternal Health Week. On April 17, we hosted an open house for patients and families that included:

  • Tours of Labor and Delivery, OB Triage and our postpartum floors
  • A discussion with physicians and midwives about common pregnancy myths
  • A meet and greet with Northwestern Medicine and affiliated OB-GYN clinicians

In addition, Northwestern Medicine held a Women’s Health Staff Grand Rounds focusing on birth equity and reproductive justice, further emphasizing the importance of these issues in the context of Black maternal health.

Conducting Ongoing Research: The STRIVE Study
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is conducting the STRIVE Study (Stress Reactivity and Maternal Health), a stress and pregnancy research study aimed at exploring how daily experiences and stress impact the health of Black pregnant women and their babies. This study is part of our ongoing efforts to understand and address the stresses that occur during pregnancy and how the body’s response to stress may affect Black women and their babies. 
Jacqueline C. Hairston, MD, an assistant professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medicine.

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