New Trauma-Focused Initiative to Address Maternal Health Disparities in the South Bronx Unites the Bronx Health Collective and the Mama Glow Foundation

The Bronx Health Collective at Montefiore Einstein and the Mama Glow Foundation have been awarded a $2 million Health Resources and Services Administration grant to address trauma and advance treatment options for birthing people at clinics located in the South Bronx. The partnership, historic in nature, addresses structural racism, which makes exposure to violence particularly common in birthing communities.

When compared to their white counterparts, Black-birthing people are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications. In Bronx County, the ratio of pregnancy-related deaths for Black-birthing people was on average 9.4 times that of white-birthing people. Rates of domestic and gender-based violence are on the rise in the Bronx, and trauma is common but rarely addressed during prenatal care, contributing to pregnancy-related complications and a disproportionately high number of deaths among Black women.

Through Montefiore Einstein’s partnership with the Mama Glow Foundation, a leader in maternal health and birthing justice, ongoing doula services will be available during pregnancy as well as during and after birth in Montefiore Einstein’s South Bronx clinics. By incorporating doulas, this partnership will work to create a new reality where birthing people are more familiar and comfortable with their care team and more confident in advocating for themselves and their child.

“Trauma has a profound impact on how we live our lives and how we experience pregnancy, and yet, it’s not screened for at prenatal checkups and appointments,” said Latham Thomas, Founder of the Mama Glow Foundation.

The new program will aid pregnant individuals who have faced intimate-partner violence and other forms of trauma by expanding screening for trauma during prenatal care, enhancing the skills of the mental health teams providing trauma-focused therapy and focusing on coordination of care.

Montefiore Einstein also will offer trauma-informed services like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which encourages people to focus on the traumatic memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements). This form of therapy is one of the most effective treatments for complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

Addressing the lack of investment in trauma-informed care during the prenatal period, the program will incorporate ongoing provider training and will undergo routine evaluation and refinement of services to ensure the needs of birthing individuals in the South Bronx are met. As one of the most underresourced regions in the country, the Bronx contains one of the most vulnerable populations facing the maternal health crisis. The new program will stand as an example of what it means to tailor and channel efforts to people who need it most.

“This potentially lifesaving initiative, which has been informed by feedback from our clinicians, patients and community leaders, acknowledges the high level of violence and trauma that too many families in the South Bronx have had to endure,” said Amrita K. Seehra, MD, MPH, AAHIVS, of the Bronx Health Collective.