The black maternal and infant mortality crisis is a growing public health concern. Understanding the barriers black mothers and their infants face will better help healthcare practitioners lean in to offer strategies and create a safe place and opportunities for black mothers and their infants to thrive. Registered Dietitians have an important role to play and can help improve the life expectancy for both mother and baby. Nutrition plays a vital part in the fertility, pregnancy and post-partum process in keeping expectant mothers healthy and well, so lifesaving nutrients can be transferred in utero and upon deliver to the infant. Breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates are the lowest among black mothers this is coupled with many other factors such as education and access to support and supplies which may further compound the premature mortality of black infants. However, registered dietitians can stand in the gap, in many instances. This presentation will provide background into the black maternal and infant mortality crises and will explore how registered dietitians can stand in the gap to improve access to care and provide equitable nutrition education and nutrition therapy to mothers and their infants.
Speaker
Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, LDN, NASM-WFS CPT
Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes is a nationally recognized food and nutrition expert, leading global expert in Gestational Diabetes, mother, wife, author, health writer, recipe developer, health speaker, diabetes and fitness expert, and holistic plant-based women’s health registered dietitian of over 15 years. She has been featured in various professional and popular media outlets such as PubMed, Harvard Health Publishing, News Flash, Forbes Health, Wallstreet Journal, CNBC, WebMD, Readers Digest, Prevention, Huffington Post and more. She actively works with various community organizations, locally (Boston University, Boston Public Health, Boston Public Library, etc.) and nationally (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Diabetes Association, American Kidney Fund, etc.) in the areas of public health, nutrition, health equity and women's health. She is the National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, founder of 360Girls&Women- a holistic health and wellness company for girls and women and co-founder of cultured health– a global digital healthcare app that connects dietitians to clients based on culture.