Addressing African American Infant Mortality Using Technology during the Covid-19 Crisis

It is well known that Covid-19 has had a disproportionate impact on Black Americans who were already overrepresented in health disparities. We do not yet understand its impact on infant mortality. A critical issue in Cleveland, Ohio, babies born to Black mothers are three times as likely to die within their first year than those born to White mothers. Addressing this, Birthing Beautiful Communities, an innovative, Black-owned and run perinatal support agency, supports Black women and their families through their pregnancies, births, and their babies' first year. This study explores pandemic-required service shifts. Research questions include: (1) What are the outcomes of births during Covid-19? (2) What is the meaning of services for clients and staff in the context of social distancing? (3) What are the implications of technology in infant mortality prevention programming? We expect the findings to have implications for healthcare service delivery for Black women and their families.