Babies.
Images of soft, clean skin, giggles, and all around precious moments filled your head, right?
For all too many women in this country, the word baby fills their hearts with grief. Although the United States spends BILLIONS on health care each year, and touts some of the most technologically advanced medical care in the world, it ranks a dismal 42 on the infant mortality ranking for developed countries. Equally as horrifying is that there is a gigantic disparity between the infant mortality of white babies and African American babies in this country. The African American infant mortality rate is 16 infant deaths per 1,000 live births! This is parallel to the rates of Malaysia and the West Bank.
How can this be? What can we do to help?
These questions can be answered by the groundbreaking documentary, just released by Hana Peace Works Pictures titled
“Reducing Infant Mortality and Improving the Health of Babies.” This film was co-produced by one of the largest certifying bodies for birth doulas, DONA International, and the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute’s Center for Clinical Studies and Research. The film brings together the most cutting-edge research on this topic and world-renowned experts to create an essential piece with the potential to inspire a major change in maternity care. You can view the movie on the film’s website here.
The film’s website state’s that its simple message is to “Normalize Birth.” They hope to accomplish this goal by “…advocating for a health care system in which it will be standard procedure for mothers and babies to thrive and not merely survive through birth and early life.” They go on to explain that, “The midwifery model of care will save our health care system millions of dollars each year.” In addition to saving millions, if not billions in health care costs, the midwifery model of care has also been proven to improve birth outcomes and increase access to health care. Check out Midife-led versus other models of care for childbearing women, an article just released by the Cochrane Review here.
After viewing the movie, you may be stirred to get involved in advocacy work (so we hope!). The website has wonderful links and advice for writing to your legislators and making a change! Lets keep the momentum to improve the health of babies and make the Triangle area one of the most heard in the nation!