When Alisa Tyars was pregnant, she had a lot of questions and concerns.
“It was my first pregnancy so I was very scared. I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
But it was more than first time pregnancy jitters. She knew she was at higher risk simply because she’s Black.
“I was aware definitely aware,” she said.
In Los Angeles County, Black and African American women are four times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Their babies are two to three times more likely to die before their first birthdays.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the U.S. in 2019 show Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC also notes most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
In general, the pregnancy mortality rate in the United States has increased from 1987 to 2016 from 7.2 for every 100,000 births to 16.9, according to the CDC.
From 2011 to 2016, the CDC reported pregnancy-related mortality ratios:
- 42.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for black non-Hispanic women.
- 30.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for American Indian/Alaskan Native non-Hispanic women.
- 14.1 deaths per 100,000 live births for Asian/Pacific Islander non-Hispanic women.
- 13.0 deaths per 100,000 live births for white non-Hispanic women.
- 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births for Hispanic women.
“Having someone there to advocate makes a big difference,” said Felicia Frances-Edwards.
Felicia Francis-Edwards is a doula, providing non-clinical support during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. She worked with Tyars as part of LA County’s Black Infants and Families program.
It provides doulas free of charge in an effort to decrease the mortality rates impacting Black women at all socioeconomic levels.
A woman who has maybe a 9th grade education and a woman who has a PhD -- there’s not going to be a lot of difference in the outcomes of their pregnancy.
Felicia Francis-Edwards, doula
Health advocates say the root of the problem stems from stress from systemic racism and implicit bias.
“There’s certain aspects of birthing while being an African-American woman and a Black woman where the biases really do come to play and it can be so subtle,” she said.
That’s why the doula is there to educate, empower, and advocate for the pregnant woman.
“We needed that uplifting support because it’s a very big change in our lives,” Tyars said.
Her baby was born six weeks early but he’s doing well. Francis-Edwards was thrilled to able to see him in person for the first time.
“She is so in love with her baby it makes my heart have joy!” Frances-Edwards said.
Heather Navarro contributed to this report.
