FREDERICK, Md. (DC News Now) — Black Mamas Building Bridges, a local organization dedicated to bringing awareness to black maternal health, is hosting a free Black Maternal Health Summit this Saturday.
The summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and vendor showcases.
“We wanted to bring key stakeholders together in the county so that we could really gain buy-in for people to pay attention to black moms and black women in the county,” said Nia Condley, a co-founder of Black Mamas Building Bridges.
Nationwide, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. Black women are also more likely to have a preterm delivery and have a baby who has a low birth weight.
Disparities in maternal and infant health may reflect increased barriers to care for Black women, according to the Frederick County Health Department.
According to data from the Frederick County Black Maternal Health Disparity Report, the proportion of women who sought early prenatal care is lower for Black women than it is for their white counterparts. Correspondingly, Black women residing in Frederick County had higher rates of preterm birth and low birth weight, compared to white women.
“As a result of some of the experiences that I’ve had, along with so many of the other women that are a part of Black Women Building Bridges, we felt that it was time to really have the summit to highlight the disparities,” said Yewande Oladeinde, a co-founder of Black Mamas Building Bridges.
The summit will be held on Saturday, October 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hood College in the Rosenstock Hall Auditorium. If you’re interested in attending, click here to register.