ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Rochester Regional Health and the University of Rochester Medical Center co-hosted an event for Black Maternal Health Week.
This event was created for doulas, midwives, obstetricians, gynecologists, and community members working to improve maternal health. Included alongside guest speakers were real-life birthing scenarios, where participants got to watch and learn how to handle complications in labor and delivery.
Author, educator, midwife, and TIME Magazine’s Woman of the Year 2022, Jennie Joseph spoke at the event as an advocate for midwifery.
Black women and black birthing people are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women, according to the CDC. They also reported that the infant mortality rate among Black babies is almost two times higher than the national average.