Dr. Janell Green Smith
Another Black Maternal Health Death

The Black Beautiful Babies Campaign will serve 2,000 pregnant African American women in each city and rural area through a three-tiered support system of: (1) clinical care providers and trained perinatal professionals; (2) the Faith Safety Net with its 20,000 community volunteers providing comprehensive services; and (3) church-based resource centers offering health education, counseling, and practical assistance. A primary goal is to encircle every pregnant Black woman with a culturally aligned, continuous care network during pregnancy, the birth experience, and the first two years postpartum. The Campaign will connect expectant mothers with obstetric, pediatric, mental health, and midwifery providers. Its dedicated support teams will assist women with their medical needs, and provide practical help for them with transportation, nutrition, and safety, too. NBCI recognizes that reducing daily stressors that can directly impact maternal and infant wellbeing is essential for program success.

The Black Beautiful Babies Campaign is a church-centered model designed to eliminate preventable maternal deaths by building a coordinated system of care to support Black mothers while addressing the social determinants that contribute to maternal health disparities. NBCI’s track record of successful health initiatives, including comprehensive programs in immunization, cardiovascular health, mental health awareness, and substance abuse prevention, demonstrate our capacity to effectively manage large-scale interventions like the Black Beautiful Babies Campaign. This initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity for Mississippi to lead the nation in addressing Black maternal mortality through a proven, community-based approach.

Sister Wendy Alfred
Project Leader

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, January 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities comprising 27.7 million members, has created a proposal for the Black Beautiful Babies Campaign in response to the continuing maternal health crisis affecting Black women. In the U.S., Black mothers experience mortality rates some three times higher than those for non-Hispanic White women.

Rev. Anthony Evans, President of the National Black Church Initiative, “This is a game- changer. NBCI will bring to bear tens of thousands of trained volunteers working in an interdisciplinary manner to provide education, outreach, material support, and support for new moms and their children up to three years before and after birth. We would, along with our state partners, create a blanket of services that includes, but is not limited to, food, housing, mental health, and faith services. Our goal is to grow healthy black babies for our communities. We look forward in engaging our state partner with the program.”

Click the link to continue to read this press release

Many people first became aware of the nation’s Black maternal mortality crisis when they read about the nearly fatal experience of tennis superstar Serena Williams after giving birth to her first daughter in 2017. Writing for Elle, she relates that the problems began hours after her successful surgery for caesarean section (“C-section”) delivery

This report describes the NBCI "Wraparound Interdisciplinary Service Structure" and the Black Beautiful Babies Campaign to solve the Black maternal health crisis, and proposes an unprecedented community-powered intervention campaign. This program will create a comprehensive support system for Black mothers utilizing our network of churches across the United States and deploying trained volunteers to serve pregnant women across the country.

Click the link to read the full report

The definition of maternal mortality or maternal death varies slightly amongst the different governing organizations. The standing definition is that maternal death is the death of a pregnant woman due to pregnancy-related complications and/or conditions that were made worse by the pregnancy. Death can occur anytime during the pregnancy or within six weeks or up to one year after delivery. One organization uses six weeks postpartum while others use up to one year postpartum.

The obstetric complications that account for the majority of maternal deaths are bleeding (hemorrhage), thrombotic events, high blood pressure and infection.

Homicide and unsafe abortions both contribute to maternal deaths in the United States causing the U.S. to rank 55th in maternal mortality compared to other higher-income countries.

Between 1955 and 1985, global maternal mortality declined significantly, however within the past ten years, the U.S. numbers are rising again.

The incidence of maternal death in the U.S. is 24 deaths per 100,000 live births. The maternal death rate in the U.S. far exceeds that of other higher-income countries. Among these countries are the Netherlands, Japan, Germany and Canada to name a few where the death rate is one-third that of the U.S. This alarming statistic is three times higher in the African American community.

The causes of the increase in maternal mortality in the U.S., especially in the African American community, are quite entangled and difficult to isolate.

There are barriers to health care that are deeply rooted in discrimination and lead to socioeconomic factors that play a role in limiting health care access.

Such factors as inadequate education, suboptimal access to health care and a higher propensity to have chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity are affecting the Black community at a disproportionately higher rate.

Providing access to health care is paramount in decreasing maternal mortality. Health deserts are far too common and these areas require women to travel great distances to obtain health care.

As pregnancy ensues, more visits are required and transportation becomes an issue. Social issues contribute to the steep incline in maternal mortality such as substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health problems.

There is no one answer to the problem of maternal mortality in the Black community. The increase in maternal mortality in the Black community is actually a manifestation of far deeper problems.

Pre-pregnancy consultations are a vital way to evaluate a woman's health status before conception. For any patient considering conception, especially those with health issues, a pre-pregnancy consultation is important. Some diseases can be treated prior to pregnancy helping to reduce maternal mortality.

10 Skincare Ingredients to Avoid When You’re Pregnant

Your body can go through a lot of changes when you’re pregnant. Still, you might not expect how much your skin can change when you’re expecting. Some of these issues can be attributed to hormonal fluctuations that normally happen with pregnancy. Your skin may become more acne-prone, itchy, or have dark patches. Under normal circumstances, your usual skincare routine might be enough to keep your skin healthy. However, pregnancy can make you more sensitive to certain skincare ingredients.

Click this link to know which ones to avoid and what’s safe.

Stop Blood Clots With These 8 Stretches

Travel is obviously an amazing way to learn about new cultures, create memories with your friends and family, and build up your social media following with scenic pics. However, there are a few risks to think of if you’re taking frequent lengthy flights across the globe.

Follow this link to read about the 8 stretches

Could 3D Body Scanning Predict Common Pregnancy Complications?

Advances in imaging and modeling technology are opening promising new frontiers in prenatal care. Could 3D body scanning provide earlier, more accurate detection of pregnancy complications? Click this link to read this article that explores the science behind emerging 3D pregnancy scans, the conditions they may help detect, their benefits and limitations, and what the future holds for tech-driven maternal care.

5 Easy Recipes That Fight Morning Sickness

It’s typical to have morning sickness when you’re pregnant. That’s why it helps to have a few easy go-to recipes in your arsenal to help with the feeling.
1. Ginger Cookies
2. Yogurt Popsicles
3. Coconut Water Smoothie
4. Lemon Ginger Chews
5. Carrot Ginger Mocktails

Click this link to read 5 Easy Recipes For You

Celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week 2025—Here’s How to Get Involved

Every year, the last week of August is dedicated to Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW) — a national campaign created to raise awareness, celebrate, and uplift Black families on their breastfeeding journey. Why does this week matter? Because while breastfeeding has read more

Follow this link to learn how to get involved

Black Women Receive Lower Doses of Postpartum Pain Medication, According to New Study

Inequities in pain medication treatment received postpartum, after giving birth, were found in a Cedars-Sinai study of 18,000 women. The disparities were observed even among patients reporting the highest pain levels.

The retrospective cohort study was published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

Follow this link to read more about the study.