Honoring Lives Lost: Addressing Infant Mortality and Maternal Morbidity in Cincinnati During Black History Month

Written by Dr. Natashia L Conner, PhD, MPhil, MS, IBCLC

Founder & Executive Director | The BLACK Collaborative Inc.

Black History Month is a time to honor legacy, resilience, and resistance. It is also a time to name hard truths. In Cincinnati, Ohio, Black families continue to bear a disproportionate burden of infant mortality and maternal morbidity—losses that are not inevitable, but systemic, preventable, and rooted in inequitable access to care. We pause this month to honor the mothers and babies we have lost—not as statistics, but as lives, families, and futures interrupted. Their stories compel us to move beyond remembrance toward action.

The Reality in Cincinnati: Persistent Disparities in Infant and Maternal Health

Despite advances in public health, Black infants in Hamilton County are more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday compared to White infants. Data from the Ohio Department of Health and Cradle Cincinnati show this disparity has remained steady even as overall infant mortality rates have declined.

Maternal health outcomes reflect similar inequities. Black women in Cincinnati face significantly higher risks of severe maternal morbidity, including hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and complications during pregnancy and postpartum. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. These patterns are mirrored locally.

These outcomes are not caused by genetics or individual choices. Instead, they stem from structural conditions that limit access to quality care and support.

From "Lack" to "Access": Naming the Root Causes

For many Black families in Cincinnati, the challenge is not a lack of desire or effort to care for

their babies. The issue lies in limited access to culturally responsive prenatal and postpartum care. Many face fragmented systems where medical care is disconnected from social support services. This separation makes it difficult to address the full range of needs during pregnancy and after birth.

Other barriers include:

• Transportation, housing, and food insecurity that directly affect pregnancy outcomes.

• Implicit bias and racism within healthcare settings delay diagnosis and treatment.

• Underinvestment in Black-led, community-based solutions.

  
  

Research consistently shows that social determinants of health—where people live, work, and give birth—account for a substantial share of maternal and infant outcomes. When care is inaccessible, uncoordinated, or culturally unsafe, risk increases. These factors create a complex web that contributes to poor outcomes. Addressing infant mortality and maternal morbidity requires tackling these social determinants alongside medical care.

Moving Toward Solutions: What Cincinnati Can Do

Efforts to reduce disparities must focus on expanding access and improving the quality of care for Black mothers and babies. Some promising approaches include:

• Culturally responsive care: Hold systems accountable for equitable outcomes—not just intentions. Training healthcare providers to understand and respect cultural differences improves trust and communication. This can lead to better prenatal and postpartum experiences.

• Integrated care models: Combining medical care with social services helps address transportation, housing, and nutrition needs in one place. Programs that connect families to resources reduce barriers to care.

• Community-based models: Invest in Black-led, community-based organizations. Especially those led by trusted Black organizations are shown to improve engagement, continuity of care, and outcomes. This includes access to essential supplies that stabilize families during pregnancy and infancy.

• Data-driven interventions: Center Black mothers’ lived experiences in policy and practice. Using local data to identify high-risk areas and populations allows targeted outreach and resource allocation. Transparency in reporting disparities keeps the issue visible and urgent.

  
  

The mothers and babies we honor this month deserve more than remembrance. They deserve transformation. These are not “extras.” They are evidence-based interventions.

Why This Matters Beyond Statistics

Evidence also demonstrates that breastfeeding support, perinatal mental health care, and community-based navigation are protective factors for both mothers and infants. Yet Black families are less likely to receive sustained lactation support, postpartum follow-up, or timely mental health screening.

Honoring the mothers and babies we’ve lost means refusing to normalize these disparities. It means shifting from charity to justice-centered access. From short-term fixes to sustained investment. From systems that react to crisis to systems that prevent loss. It means committing to change that ensures every mother and baby in Cincinnati has the care and support they need to thrive.

At The BLACK Collaborative Inc., our work is rooted in this belief:

Access saves lives.

Access to care.

Access to information.

Access to culturally responsive support.

Access to dignity.

Black History Month reminds us of the strength and resilience of Black communities. It also calls on us to confront ongoing injustices. By addressing infant mortality and maternal morbidity, Cincinnati can build a healthier, more equitable future for all families.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pregnancy-Related Mortality Surveillance.

• Ohio Department of Health. Infant Mortality Data & Maternal Health Reports.

• Cradle Cincinnati. Hamilton County Infant Mortality Reports.

• Howell, E. A. (2018). Reducing disparities in severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology.

• Bailey, Z. D., et al. (2017). Structural racism and health inequities in the USA. The Lancet.