According to the most recent data, Black infants are 2.3 times more likely to die before their first birthday compared to their White counterparts. Black American parents also experience higher rates of fetal and perinatal deaths, making Black families disproportionately more susceptible to pregnancy loss und bereavement. Bereaved Black parents’ ability and ways of coping with their loss is influenced by a multitude of factors such as the transgenerational trauma associated with 400 years of collective enslavement, poverty, and consistent discrimination in the educational, judicial, and health care system. Black American parents encounter specific barriers to receiving quality health care such as higher levels of medical mistrust, perceived discrimination, and poorer communication with their providers. However, little is known about Black parents’ perception about the impact of patient-provider relationships on their perinatal outcomes and bereavement journeys. This study aims to explore Black American mothers’ experiences of pregnancy, loss, and bereavement in relation to the health care system and their health care providers.
This is Erica’s original research from her Master’s program in Maternal Child Health. Listen as she presents her thesis “Are you listening to me? Patient Provider Relationships in Black Perinatal Bereavement”
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