canary in the mine

 

 

Sent to you by moya via Google Reader:

 

 

canary in the mine

via guerrilla mama medicine by mama on 12/11/09

notes on video:

• why do afr am women have babies that are born too small at twice the rate as white am women?
• originally thought that the disparity, the gap was caused by the socio economic differences between white and black americans
• but the gap widened as socio economic status improved
• there's something about growing up as a black female in the us that is not good for your childbearing health
• what is behind the low birth weight and early born babes of african american babes, is the unequal treatment of afr am's in american society
• racism is taking a heavy toll on african american people even before they leave the womb
• one of the best predictors for a healthy pregnancy outcome is higher education
• 1/14 babies born with low birth weights, at a high risk of dying before their first birthday
• pre term and low birth weight are the reason that the us claims one of the worst infant survival rates in the industrialized world, #34
• infant survival rates is like the 'canary in the mine', the most sensitive of indicators of social health
• white americans if they were a seperate country would still rank 23rd in the world

i am thinking about what it means that 'infant mortality rates' act as a 'canary in the mine' for indicators of social health.  and what it means to our survival, as a people, that our children are born as survivors of racism and medical violence.

 

 

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