It was a treat to get to see Episode 7 on Mother’s Day, and I enjoyed this episode with my own mother. Cynthia witnessed Mr. John Lacey consistently belittle his wife Annie. Jenny saw a different kind of abuse when she cared for a black mother-to-be, Mrs. Monique Hyde, who was subjected to racial prejudice from neighbors. As a modern-day certified nurse midwife (CNM), this episode made me reflect on the impact of racial disparity on perinatal outcomes.

When there is a difference in health outcomes between population groups there is a disparity. The term “disparity” can include such things as race or ethnicity, but it also includes gender, sexual identity, age, disability, religion, socioeconomic status and geographic location, as these can contribute to one’s ability to achieve good health. A health disparity is a particular health difference that is closely linked to things that have historically been linked with discrimination or exclusion.

The United States' population is just under 309 million people (U.S. Census). Approximately 33 percent, or more than 100 million persons, identified themselves as belonging to a racial or ethnic minority population. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports the infant mortality rate in 2010 was 6.14 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The mortality rate for black infants was 2.2 times the rate for white infants. A significant portion of this racial gap in infant mortality is attributable to preterm birth (a birth prior to 37 weeks gestation). Among black infants there is a near twofold increase in low birth weight and a near threefold increase in very low birth weight (CDC, National Vital Statistics System, 2012). This graphic shows we can visually see this startling gap in a graph displaying infant deaths among different racial groups between the years 1997- 2007.

Katie Moriarty (CNM, PhD, CAFCI) is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Nurse Midwifery education program at the University of Michigan. She has been a nurse-midwife since 1992. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Windsor, and her Master’s and PhD degrees are from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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