The Dane County Health Council (DCHC) and the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (FBWW) teamed up for its annual Saving Our Babies press conference to give updates on its seven years of work to combat negative Black maternal and infant health outcomes May 6.
Saving Our Babies, a cross-sector collaboration between health care and community organizations, has worked for seven years to address Dane County’s dire outcomes for Black maternal and infant health. The collective, composed of DCHC, FBWW and EQT by Design, works to find solutions for low birth weight in babies born to Black mothers.
The annual conference gave insight into progress on the collective effort and testimony from those behind Save Our Babies, including Black doulas, United Way of Dane County and medical professionals.
“The standard of maternal and child health care has been elevated, not only for Black mothers, but for all mothers and birthing people who are served in the hospitals and clinics around our community,” said Lisa Peyton, CEO and founder of FBWW. “That’s a real win for everyone.”
While Peyton notes that significant progress has been made, Wisconsin still ranks as one of the worst states in the country for Black maternal and infant health outcomes.
In the United States, 10.9 out of 1,000 Black babies born die before their first birthday, according to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistics System. In Wisconsin, the Black infant mortality rate sits at 13.2 per 1,000 compared to 4.4 per 1,000 for White babies, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
The largest contributing factor is low birth weight, Peyton said. However, there have been tangible combative methods to overcome negative outcomes. Notably, the use of Black doulas plays a vital role in ensuring quality, culturally informed care.
Dr. Evan Nolander, family medicine obstetrician at Access Community Health, sighs in relief when he knows a doula accompanies a patient.
“Many people have heard me say this, and I’m here today, but if I walk into a delivery room and I see a familiar face with one of the doulas next to my patients, I immediately feel at ease,” Dr. Norlander said. “I know that somebody’s doing that job better than I could ever do that job. Somebody can connect to the patient probably better than I could ever be connected to that patient.”
Dr. Norlander pointed to a doula in attendance whom he had worked with many times. Tracy Russell was the doula for four children of a woman in Dr. Norlander’s care. He shared an anecdote on how, due to Russell and the trust he has with her and the care she brings Black mothers, the experience was “remarkably unremarkable” — which is a good thing.
“Everybody was healthy and that’s the point, right? She got to have the delivery she wanted with the team that she chose, surrounding herself with these familiar faces that she needed to have a healthy, safe experience,” Dr. Norlander said.
The press conference gave hard data points on improvements for Black women supported by doulas in the initiative.
Cited was 93% of Black babies born with healthy weights, 77% of doula-supported Black women avoided medical interventions like C-sections, 92% of Black women had lactation initiations within 48 hours of birth and $130,000 in direct financial support to mothers.
United Way of Dane County also lobbied a mini campaign of $500,000 to raise funds for Saving Our Babies. The initiative costs around $2 million — the $500,000 will be able to fund two full-time community health workers and ensure doulas can help 100 of the highest-risk patients.
Roots and Wings, a foundation that addresses children’s basic needs, early learning, safety and justice and health, has already contributed $100,000 to the campaign.
