It’s easy to take for granted the availability of modern interventions and health care but even today there are some big issues with maternal health — and effective solutions require a multifaceted approach.
Preeclampsia can occur in any pregnancy but, in the United States, Black mothers are three times more likely than white mothers to die from the condition. Through conversations with Black mothers and with insights from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Office of Minority Health & Health Equity, we learned that the reasons for this are rooted in racial and ethnic inequities. We worked with health care benefit company Aetna to create a kit for expecting mothers that extended education and tools for physical and social empowerment and health.