RALEIGH, N.C. — A South Carolina midwife’s recent death while giving birth to her first child has sparked renewed national conversation about the Black maternal health crisis.
Dr. Janell Green Smith, a dedicated advocate for Black birthing people, passed away just days into the new year. Her tragic passing underscores a deeply troubling disparity in maternal mortality rates.
A Systemic Issue: Why Black Women Face Higher Risks
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The death of Dr. Smith isn’t an isolated incident, but rather a symptom of systemic issues impacting Black maternal health.
“When I see that it says somebody didn’t listen and somebody didn’t follow protocol. We see that over and over again,” said Latoshia Rouse with Birth Sisters Doula Services. “Oftentimes when those things happen, it happens more for Black and brown women. We don’t get the best of everything and everyone all the time. I think this is systemic.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women and experience the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. This means that, tragically, Black women face significantly elevated risks during and after childbirth.
The Power of Support: Doulas and Patient Advocacy
Health experts emphasize that reducing pregnancy-related complications and death requires providers to actively listen to their patients, recognize urgent maternal warning signs, address concerns promptly, and deliver respectful, quality care to all.
Giszell Weather, a 31-year-old Durham resident who is 15 weeks pregnant, prioritized finding a healthcare provider she could connect with. “It was a top priority for me to find a woman I could identify with,” she said.
Weather is working with a doula, Natasha, for the third time during her pregnancy. She describes the support as a critical resource, allowing her to “feel safe and focused on surrendering and letting my body do what it needed to do” during pregnancy and delivery.
Preventable Tragedies: A Call for Change
More than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, highlighting the urgent need for improvements in maternal healthcare. The conversation surrounding Dr. Janell Green Smith’s death is prompting Black women to seek ways to better protect themselves throughout their pregnancy and childbirth journeys.
