Browse Publications: Health
African American Women and Breastfeeding
To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper examines the critical relationship between breastfeeding and infant mortality among African Americans, the racial/ethnic group with the lowest rate of breastfeeding. The authors explore the benefits of breastfeeding and the issues associated with racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding, concluding with an action plan for closing the gap through promotion of breastfeeding based on education, training, awareness, support, and research.
Maternal Nutrition and Infant Mortality in the Context of Relationality
Although infant mortality in the United States decreased among all races between 1980 and 2000, the overall black-white gap for infant mortality widened and this pattern has continued. A 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis of infant mortality rates in 1995-1998 in the 60 largest U.S. cities revealed that the median infant mortality rate for blacks was 13.9 per 1,000 live births, compared to 6.4 and 5.9 for whites and Hispanics, respectively. Nationwide, the most recent data (2003) show that the infant mortality rate for blacks is 13.5 per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.7 for non-Hispanic whites and for Hispanics. The lack of progress in closing the black-white gap is largely due to a persistent two- to threefold higher risk for low birthweight and very low birthweight among black infants compared to white infants.
Race, Stress, and Social Support: Addressing the Crisis in Black Infant Mortality
To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper examines the impact of stress and stress mediators on pregnancy outcomes for African American women. The report also examines social support and other relational experiences and makes recommendations for related changes in public policy and maternal and child health practices. This analysis complements and reinforces the recommendations of other Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission background and framing papers on infant mortality and resilience; the role of breastfeeding in maternal and infant health; the historical framework of policies and practices to reduce infant mortality; the authentic voices of those affected by infant mortality; and infant mortality in a global context.