Reduce maternal stress for healthier children

Maternal pressure has been recognized as a contributing factor to the hazards for prematurity and low birth weight among black women, hence, an overview of a social-work study that was performed to do three things: psychoanalyze the pressures faced by expectant African-American mothers, identify the strengths recognized by the participants and talk about present-day formal/informal resources in rural communities.

Furthermore, data indicate that black women are at higher risk for infant mortality and low birthweight babies than are white or Latina women.

Empowerment theory seeks to help individuals, families, groups and communities to increase their personal, socioeconomic and political strengths to exert influence to improve their circumstances. Empowerment is important for economically challenged black mothers living in rural communities.

On a positive note, empowerment can be used by those in the fields of social work, nursing, public health and other related fields to mediate the role that powerlessness plays in perpetuating social problems.

This qualitative study conducted by those in social work also sought to examine stressors for women who are pregnant and parenting young children, ascertain strengths identified by participants, and discuss formal and informal resources present in rural communities for under-served groups.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Reduce maternal stress for healthier children."