P.E.A.C.E. in Progress

Scenes from childhood:

Kid: I'll bring my milk with me to the couch, I only have 3 ounces left.                 

Mom:Your bones thank you, your teeth thank you, and your future children thank you! 

Kid: I'm going to adopt. 

Mom: You still have to finish your milk.

*****

One of the things you learn as an expectant parent is the importance of calcium. The baby requires calcium to build bones and teeth. If you don’t take in enough, the baby will get that needed calcium from your own bones and teeth. I remember being rather creeped out by that at the time.

Making sure that a pregnant person is getting enough calcium is only one of a host of important things that support healthy outcomes at birth and beyond. Having access to supportive medical care during the perinatal period* is crucial for the physical and mental health of parent and baby. 

You may recall that I’ve written about my grandmother, Hazel Cornell Jackson, who served as the Director  of Maternal Health in Cleveland in the 1960’s. I grew up knowing that Grandma worked someplace called “Maternal Health” long before I knew what maternal health was. That’s probably why the following news story caught my eye.

Howard County announces new program to improve access to maternal health resources, Christian Olaniran, WJZ News

According to the Howard County Health Department, the Perinatal Equity and Care for Everyone (P.E.A.C.E.) project is a response to rising rates of maternal mortality in Maryland, and in the United States.  

The program will provide clients, families, and health care professionals with information about pre-natal, postpartum, and infant resources in Howard County.   

You can learn more about the program at the Howard County Government website. 

P.E.A.C.E. Project

Participants can be connected with the following supports:

• Pregnancy resources  
• Home visiting referral 
• Locating a provider/specialist 
• WIC referral 
• Parenting support resources  
• Emotional/mental health resources  
• Links to community resources 
• Assistance locating childcare 
• Childbirth/parenting education  
• Teen parenting support referral 
• Insurance eligibility 
• Pregnancy options counseling
• Pregnancy loss support

The P.E.A.C.E. Project is funded through monies from the American Rescue Plan Act and there is no charge to participants.

Nayanie Henriquez, photo credit HoCoGov

Nayanie Henriquez is the professional perinatal care navigator who will assist clients in assessing and connecting with the services that they need. I noted while reading her bio that she is a full sprectrum doula. We had a wonderful doula with us for the birth of our youngest child. I credit her (along with my watchful and observant husband) with saving my life during labour when my blood pressure dropped alarmingly.

Consequently, I have huge respect for doulas. You can read more about Ms.Henriquez’ at the P.E.A.C.E. Project page.

I have noticed over the years that not everyone comprehends the value of investing in public health initiatives. Whether it’s a campaign to choose healthier beverages or keep communty members from getting and passing along COVID to others, some folks find a way to take umbrage. And so I wonder if the HoCo P.E.A.C.E. Project will be more of the same.

Why is that my problem?

Why should the government waste money on people who get pregnant?

They’re just encouraging teen pregnancy!

What do you mean, “equity” in perinatal care?

But the Howard County program is a response to the growing crisis in the US. 

US Ranks Worst in Maternal Care, Mortality Compared With 10 Other Developed Nations, Gianna Melillo, AJMC

“Policy makers, health plans, and clinicians should ensure access to universal suicidality screening and appropriate treatment for pregnant and postpartum individuals and seek health system and policy avenues to mitigate this growing public health crisis, particularly for high-risk groups,” the authors of that analysis wrote.

In the United States, non-Hispanic Black women are more than 3 times more likely to have a maternal death than White women. Non-Hispanic Black women are also significantly more likely to have a severe maternal morbidity event at the time of delivery.

In the US we like to think we have the best health care system in the world. When it comes to maternal health and outcomes, that assumption simply doesn’t hold up. I’m excited to see the beginning of this program in Howard County and hope it becomes a successful model that other communities will want to replicate. 

*Perinatal is the period of time when pregnancy occurs and up to a year after giving birth.