WASHINGTON 鈥� On Sept. 12, the third floor of D.C.鈥檚 Washington Convention Center was packed with policy leaders, health care experts 鈥� and quite a few babies 鈥� all for Mayor Muriel Bowser鈥檚 first Maternal and Infant Health Summit.
The open-to-the-public event convened mayors, physicians and nonprofit executives to examine trends in pregnancy-related health outcomes, both locally and nationally, and to discuss best practices for improving them.
鈥淎bout 700 women in this country die as a result of childbirth and 60,000 women are what we call near misses 鈥� women that are almost dying as a result of childbirth 鈥� and that鈥檚 just simply unacceptable,鈥� said March of Dimes President Stacey Davis Stewart, a panelist at the summit.
鈥淲e have to prioritize women鈥檚 health.鈥�
Despite an overall global decline, maternal mortality is on the rise in the U.S. The number of women who died from childbirth more than doubled between 1993 and 2013, from 12 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 28, .
And in D.C., one of the and cities in the country, the was nearly double the national average between 2005 and 2014.
Southeast D.C. resident Maxine Robinson was among the nearly 1,500 people who registered for the summit, and she brought her 9-month-old baby along. Robinson, a lactation consultant, said complications during her most recent pregnancy left her feeling anxious about the delivery.
鈥淚 have four children, four sons, and this one is my last one, and this was the only pregnancy I was deathly afraid of,鈥� Robinson said.
鈥淲omen are scared to give birth, and I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 because of the statistics or because we鈥檙e not able to speak up and say what鈥檚 really going on, but we鈥檙e dying while we鈥檙e having babies, and that鈥檚 not OK.鈥�
Throughout the day, experts reviewed everything from access to care, to patient education, to establishing healthy habits in the years leading up to pregnancy, and health disparities.
鈥淭here are a lot of things that are contributing to our less-than-optimal outcomes, and we have to try some different things. We can鈥檛 continue to only do the things that we鈥檝e done in the past to look for improvement,鈥� Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of D.C.鈥檚 Department of Health, touched on the importance of reaching out to women as soon as they realize they鈥檙e pregnant as a way to improve results 鈥� 鈥渋n a way that鈥檚 not overly intrusive, but letting them know that there is access to care here in the District of Columbia.”
Experts say early and consistent prenatal care is key when it comes to mom鈥檚 (and baby鈥檚) health, but in D.C., show many women access care late in the pregnancy, or not at all.
D.C. resident Robinson agrees that conversations around pregnancy and women鈥檚 health should start early 鈥� even decades before babies are on the brain.
鈥淚 think women and girls, we鈥檙e not talking about reproductive health. We鈥檙e educating girls when they get their period, and I really think that鈥檚 too late,鈥� Robinson said.
鈥淭hose should be discussions that happen earlier. That, I think, would help the village then start advocating for each other.鈥�
Some experts at the summit discussed the need for bigger policy changes, including legislation on the national level. However Robinson said she鈥檚 looking to her neighbors before she looks to Capitol Hill for change.
鈥淲hat I鈥檇 like to see from here is empowerment of the community. I鈥檓 hoping that the community is here, and women who are going to say to themselves, 鈥榊ou know what? I had a baby. I鈥檓 going to make sure I talk to this 25-year-old who鈥檚 having a baby and tell her what I went through.鈥欌��
Bowser said next steps following the summit are already in the works (the Health Department鈥檚 Nesbitt will has some follow-up efforts already scheduled, which will be announced in October). In the meantime, Bowser plans to present information learned from the summit to the U.S. Conference of Mayors this month, and potentially use the group’s lobbying power to advance specific actions on a national level.
鈥淚f there are things that we learn that we can implement as part of a longer strategy, we will do that. So stay tuned,鈥� Bowser said.
