Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Unnatural Causes - More about race and birth outcomes

Posted by Tatiana

Here are a couple of clips from the documentary series Unnatural Causes. Each is valuable in its own right and I can't decide which makes a more effective statement. With just a little bit of overlap they tell the story differently and use different sets of data. So here they both are.

I'm posting them because now and again when these conversations about race happen, someone actually is taken aback by information they didn't have before and reconsiders their preconceptions on this subject. And the more that happens, the better our chance at progress.

So let's keep shaking up our perceptions. Oh yeah, and pass it on.
How Racism Impacts Pregnancy Outcomes
UCLA obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Michael Lu believes that for many women of color, racism over a life time, not just during the nine months of pregnancy, increases the risk of preterm delivery. To improve birth outcomes, Lu argues, we must address the conditions that impact women's health not just when they become pregnant but from childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.



Kim Anderson's Story
When Atlanta lawyer Kim Anderson was pregnant with her first child, she did everything right: she ate a healthy diet, exercised, and got the best prenatal care. But her baby was born almost three months premature. This excerpt from When the Bough Breaksexplores racism's impact on pregnancy outcomes.

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