IUI honors Black Maternal Health Week with town hall

Indiana University-Indianapolis hosted a guest panel Thursday, April 11 to discuss the infant and maternal health care issues modern Black American women face. Taking place during Black Maternal Health Week, the town hall featured panelists Dr. Jill Inderstrodt, Rep. Vanessa Summers, Lauren Lancaster and Kaley Liang. Lauren Lancaster All well-known in their respective fields, the panelists discussed a wide range of topics from the disparities Black women face when breastfeeding to the much higher maternal mortality rates that Black women experience. Specifically in Indiana, as mentioned by Lancaster, Black women are 2-3 times more likely to die during and directly after childbirth. A member of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Lancaster said Indiana ranks third in the highest number of maternal deaths, a statistic that, coupled with the lack of access to prenatal care, highlights the disparities Black women are currently facing during pregnancy. State Legislator Vanessa Summers echoed the thought, saying “We are looking at an epidemic of African American mothers dying simply because they are pregnant.” As a state legislator since 1991, Summers was a key figure in passing House Bill 1294 which prevents pregnant women from being shackled while incarcerated in the state of Indiana. Summers utilized...