Resources Help FPs Observe Black Maternal Health Week
April 11, 2023, News Staff — Family physicians are encouraged to observe Black Maternal Health Week by taking advantage of tools the AAFP has created for members, as well as other resources that help in providing optimal health care to women who identify as Black or African American.
Black Maternal Health Week, observed April 11-17 during Minority Health Month, was started in 2018 by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to raise awareness of and help improve Black maternal health outcomes. Patient handouts, journal articles, clinical guidance, CME and more from the Academy support those goals with a focus on family medicine.
Tools Made for Family Physicians
The AAFP’s Maternal Health webpage links to a collection of nearly 30 clinical preventive service recommendations that help family physicians make evidence-based decisions on a variety of maternity care topics, in addition to Academy toolkits on breastfeeding and postpartum depression.
A Reproductive Health webpage features screening, treatment and management recommendations for several conditions; practice management articles on coding and documentation; and selected journal articles from American Family Physician and FPM.
In the area of CME, the Academy has developed a 25-session self-study activity on family-centered pregnancy care, an online course on family medicine pregnancy care in the wake of last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision, and a sexual health education course that gives family physicians tools to discuss a variety of sexual health and family planning topics with patients. The AAFP also continues to its offer its highly respected ALSO and BLSO courses, providing family physicians with skills and techniques to manage obstetric emergencies, along with several CME activities on health equity.
Story Highlights
Physicians can refer patients to the “Pregnancy and Childbirth” section of familydoctor.org, the Academy’s patient-centered website, for more than 40 articles that cover topics such as body changes during pregnancy, healthy eating and pregnancy, morning sickness, and postpartum recovery.
The AAFP also routinely advocates for women’s health and reproductive health, and has policies and position papers on maternal health that address birth equity (both as a policy and a position paper); care for medically underserved communities; implicit bias; pregnancy, perinatal and newborn care; and reproductive and maternity health services.
More Resources
A new documentary scheduled to air on PBS stations this month, Birthing Justice, examines systems and structures that led to historically higher maternal morbidity and mortality rates for Black women in the United States. Family physicians interested in hosting a community screening can visit the film’s website for more information.
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance offers resources to promote Black Maternal Health Week, including a social media toolkit, a video call to action and a calendar of local events. In addition, the alliance will sponsor the Black Maternal Health by Culture Festival in Atlanta on May 20 to bring together Black health care professionals, artists, activists and community leaders to recognize Black maternal health.
BlackDoctor.org has a collection of articles on preterm birth that address topics such as breastfeeding, exercise and pregnancy, and environmental factors that affect health outcomes.
The CDC has published a new article, “Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality,” that raises awareness of Black maternal health disparities while providing advice for health care professionals, hospitals and communities to support pregnant women and reduce the factors that contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity. The article also features links to a number of agency resources on maternal and infant health.
The FDA’s Office of Women’s Health is publishing a series of women’s health resources in conjunction with Black Maternal Health Week, including guidance on medicine and pregnancy, food safety, breast pumps and more.
The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization, will host its third annual Black Maternal and Child Health Summit, “Forging Forward for Black Birth Justice,” virtually on April 20 beginning at 9 a.m. CST. The summit is free to attend, but advance registration is required.
The National Birth Equity Collaborative will host a series of events throughout Black Maternal Health Week, including virtual roundtable and panel discussions, and in-person advocacy meetings. The collaborative also offers a webinar series, Respectful Maternity Care, that is designed to reduce inequities in birth outcomes through training and quality improvement.
The Network of the National Library of Medicine is hosting a series of online events for Black Maternal Health Week, including an April 17 discussion of a Journal of Women’s Health article, “Environmental Factors Involved in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality.”
Family physicians are encouraged to visit AAFP.org and the Academy’s Minority Health Month webpage for more information throughout April.