Project 1: Black Motherhood and the Future of Black Children
Build with Humanity exists to overcome systemic inequities through equity centered design and innovation. We specialize in bringing underserved minorities into the product and service design process. We aim to target 4 key areas of inequity: Health, Education, Affordability /Financial inclusion, and Social Justice. In our first pilot project we aim to address the significant risks that African American mothers face in pregnancy. Black mothers and their children face a significantly higher risk of death during and soon after birth.
The Problem
Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy and compilations associated with pregnancy than white women. The infant mortality rate has also been an extreme concern with African American children being twice as likely to die due to complications from pregnancy.This racial disparity is actually higher than it was in 1850. The disparity in the maternal and infant mortality rate has been embedded within the legacy of racism throughout our country’s history. “In his 1899 book, “The Philadelphia Negro,” the first sociological case study of black Americans, W.E.B. Du Bois pointed out the tragedy of black infant death and persistent racial disparities. He also shared his own “sorrow song,” the death of his baby son, Burghardt, in his 1903 work, “The Souls of Black Folk.”(source)
These inequities are due to a complex mix of socioeconomic, health, and other historical disparities African Americans have faced throughout our history in the United States. We have to rethink the way pre-natal care is provided for Black woman and address the specific needs and vulnerabilities black woman face during pregnancy.
The Challenge
Many black women in both rural and urban communities face barriers in accessing prenatal care — barriers that continue into the postpartum period (i.e., up to 3 months post-birth). Personal barriers (e.g., work, childcare, transportation, education, culture, and language), health system barriers (e.g., hours of operation, and lack of services), and environmental barriers (e.g., location, and connectivity or cell phone coverage) make it difficult to attend prenatal and postpartum care appointments. The current paradigm for prenatal care includes 15 face-to-face visits with providers. The content of those visits includes critical medical services, risk assessments, patient education, and building of trusting patient-provider relationships.
In light of the present and historical inequities that Black women face in obtaining maternity care, how might we create a low cost solution that reduces the risk of maternal and infant mortality by improving prenatal care?
Design Evaluation Criteria
Equity and Accessibility
- Does the solution consider the effects of systemic racism and stigma in healthcare?
- Is the solution informed by an understanding of power constructs that limit Black women’s engagement in prenatal care?
- How accessible is the innovation across social, cultural, and environmental aspects that influence treatment and care?
- How accessible is the innovation to the population of focus (e.g., healthcare providers, pregnant women, new moms, and/or their families)?
- How applicable/useable is the innovation in rural areas?
Sustainability
- Will our target audience want to use the innovation it often and/or for long periods of time? How well does it fit into daily life?
- How well does the solution integrate with existing healthcare systems? How achievable are our project’s goals based on the outlined project plan?
Impact
- How potentially impactful is the solution to improving maternal and child health among African American women?
- How well does the our solution align with a theory of change or explanation of how the proposed innovation would result in the intended impact?
- How well does the solution also target post-birth maternal monitoring to improve maternal mortality rates?
Innovation
- How likely is the proposed solution to succeed when other ideas to address similar problems have.
Phase I Community Engagement and Insight
This week we will be starting phase one, and will be offering a paid opportunity for 4 to 5 community members to provide feedback and insight as a part of our design team. We will host a virtual workshops that will place an emphasis on getting feedback from African American woman who received prenatal care and / or experienced complications during pregnancy. If you are interested in contributing to our vision and project please sign up below.
