Allyson Felix developed preeclampsia and had an emergency C-section to give birth to her daughter.- The Olympic
sprinter had no idea that, as a Black woman, she was at higher risk for complications.
Allyson Felix is the most decorated American
So if a healthcare system that leaves Black women at a higher risk of pregnancy complications — and even death — can affect someone as fit, accomplished, and well-resourced as Felix, she knows it could affect anyone.
"All Black women, all women of color are at risk," Felix told Insider. "It doesn't matter how great of medical care that you have, or being a professional athlete. I never would've imagined that this would be my situation. And I think that that's what a lot of people think."
Felix developed preeclampsia — a blood pressure condition during pregnancy that can result in life-threatening complications for mother and child — while she was carrying her daughter, Camryn, in 2018. The owner of 11 Olympic medals had no idea that Black women are disproportionately at risk for such complications.
"When I found out that I was pregnant, my doctor didn't sit me down and say, 'Here are some things that I want you to be on the lookout for, because this is a situation that you could end up in,'" Felix said. "Or, you know, that '[Preeclampsia] is something that you should be thinking about.'"
She had no reason to suspect that her pregnancy would stray from the "birth plan or the perfect scenario" that she meticulously charted out. So when she showed up for a routine check-up at 32 weeks pregnant, Felix assumed it'd be a standard visit to the doctor.
After all, aside from some swollen feet, which she'd assumed was a normal side effect of pregnancy, she felt perfectly fine. She could "never imagine" that, with her blood pressure dangerously elevated and her daughter's heart rate slowing to a crawl, she'd be rushed to the hospital for an emergency C-section nearly two months before her due date.
Within the subsequent 48 hours, Camryn was born weighing three pounds and seven ounces. She spent more than a month in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) before she was able to head home with her parents.
Felix knows she was one of the lucky ones. Maternal and infant mortality rates in America trail behind most developed nations, and Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die from complications during pregnancy than moms of other races.
Even though 60% of all childbirth-related deaths in the US are preventable, the "disparities around maternal
"Having a higher socio-economic status for Black women is not protective," Major-Kincade told Insider. "These disparities are related to systemic issues, and they're not going to get better until we provide equitable care. So we have to improve the way we deliver care to Black women so that we can have the full joy of pregnancy."
So Felix is determined to lead the charge. She and Major-Kincade have teamed up with Pampers to help raise awareness of the health crisis plaguing Black moms and babies in the US.
—Pampers (@Pampers) June 8, 2022
The diaper brand has committed to donate $250,000 over the next year to the National Birth Equity Collaborative, March of Dimes, and other leading organizations fighting to achieve maternal healthcare equity.
"When I went through this situation, my eyes were just opened," Felix said. "I wanted to take action, but I think what's even more incredible is these organizations and companies who are stepping up and have been doing this and been in this space for so long."
Major-Kincade explained that the problem at hand is one surrounding "quality of care." Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals need "to be aware of their biases" so that they can avoid behaviors that inadvertently harm their patients.
"We need resources, we need implicit-bias training, we need to look at our systems just to see what in the system is contributing to bias," Major-Kincade said. "And I hate to tell Black mothers to speak up... but that's what this campaign's about. We want to improve the quality of care so we can have joy. But I do think we have to empower families with resources, and we've created some resources that really get directly to how you can advocate for yourself when you're selecting a provider and when you're going through your pregnancy."
Empowering those families starts with education, and that's where Felix comes into the equation. The sprinter says that her and other Black women "telling our stories" helps raise awareness that these disparities exist.
Through initiatives like Pampers' #RaiseCareDeliverJoy video — which will help raise funds for the National Birth Equity Collaborative with each share — Felix hopes that more people will begin "understanding that [this] could happen to anyone and that we have to be prepared."
"Had I known that I was at risk for some of these complications, I would've known what to look for," Felix said. "I would've also had a plan in place if things did go south and understand that, OK, I have to put people in place to be able to advocate for me and to speak up on my behalf when I'm not able to."