A Prematurity Collaborative Birth Equity Consensus Statement for Mothers and Babies
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FROM THE FIELD
A Prematurity Collaborative Birth Equity Consensus Statement for Mothers and Babies Fleda Mask Jackson1 · Kweli Rashied‑Henry2 · Paula Braveman3 · Tyan Parker Dominguez4 · Diana Ramos5 · Noble Maseru6 · William Darity7 · Lisa Waddell2 · Donald Warne8 · Gina Legaz2 · Rahul Gupta2 · Arthur James9
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Introduction In 2016, March of Dimes (MOD) launched its Prematurity Collaborative to engage a broad cross section of national experts to address persistent and widening racial disparities in preterm birth by achieving equity and demonstrated improvements in preterm birth. African-American and Native American women continue to have disproportionate rates of preterm birth and maternal death. As part of the Collaborative, MOD created the Health Equity Workgroup whose task was the creation of a scientific consensus statement articulating core values and a call to action to achieve equity in preterm birth utilizing health equity and social determinants of health frameworks. Methods Health Equity Workgroup members engaged in-person and virtually to discuss key determinant contributors and resolutions for disparate maternal and birth outcomes. Workgroup members then drafted the Birth Equity Consensus Statement that contained value statements and a call to action. The birth equity consensus statement was presented at professional conferences to seek broader support. This article highlights the background and context towards arriving at the core values and call to action, which are the two major components of the consensus statement and presents the core values and call to action themselves. Results The result was the creation of a birth equity consensus statement that highlights risks and protections of social determinants based on the prevailing science, and identifies promising solutions for reducing preterm birth and eliminating racial disparities. Conclusion The birth equity consensus statement provides a mandate, guiding the work of March of Dimes and the broader MCH community, for equity-based research, practice, and policy advocacy at local, state, and federal levels. Significance This field report adds to the current knowledge base on racial and ethnic disparities in birth and maternal health outcomes. Research has documented the science behind eliminating health disparities. Scientists and practitioners should continue to explore in practice how the social determinants of birth and maternal health, which manifest historically and contemporarily, can be addressed. Keywords Birth equity · Health equity · Equity · Preterm birth · Social determinants · Social sciences · Maternal
Introduction Building upon its past successes in eradicating polio, March of Dimes (MOD) shifted its focus in 2003 to prematurity, with the goal of decreasing the preterm birth rate by at least 15%. Between 2015 and 2017, the U.S. preterm birth rate increased from 9.6 to 9.8%. Preterm birth rates were 50% higher among non-Hispanic black/African-American * Kweli Rashied‑Henry [email protected]
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