The Trump Administration Continues to Ignore Black Maternal, Infant Health

I recently saw a clip of Food and Drug Admission Chair, Dr. Marty Makary, discussing nutrition in America. During his appearance, he states, “We [The Trump Administration] called out ultra-processed foods on the food pyramid for the first time in 50 years. We challenged that dogma and told people to get to whole foods, real foods that are good for the microbiome and that are consistent with the latest science.”

Hmmm. That’s interesting. I seem to recall how former first lady Michelle Obama encouraged the same idea through her “Let’s Move” campaign back in 2009 providing the actual tools and resources to obtain healthy foods. But go on.

Dr. Makary goes on to talk about having a young baby at home who was “born, luckily…not needing a C-section,” that receives nutrient-rich foods and who would not be “getting antibiotics unless he’s on his deathbed or suffering.”

It must be nice.

It must be nice to live in an alternate reality of privilege. Where you are insulated from the skyrocketing cost of health care due to President Trump’s policies, the rising gas prices following Trump’s decision to force our country into war with Iran and the increasing cost of food due to economic instability. Where whole, nutrient-rich foods just fall from the sky. Where that lack of nutrition doesn’t lead to pregnancy complications that may require C-sections or antibiotics.

Here in the real world, we must live with this administration’s misguided decisions everyday— making hard choices among gas, food, and healthcare. Black America’s reality stands in stark contrast to Dr. Makary’s rosy foodtopia for him and his family. And for Black women and mothers, that outlook is even darker.

It’s a shame that on this 10th anniversary of Black Maternal Health Week, Black women find themselves facing a maternal mortality rate over three times higher than white, Latina and Asian women, and an administration that continues to cut necessary funding for research, attack public health, and wage a foolish, deadly war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Many factors contribute to this glaring statistic, among them are chronic stress and systemic racism, poorer quality care, lack of access, maternity deserts and proper nutrition.

Here in the real world, the Black community is facing what has been described by food justice advocate Karen Washington as “food apartheid.” It’s more than just food deserts. The term accounts for years of discriminatory policies, such as redlining and historical disinvestment that have led to food scarcity among low-income communities. Lack of access to nutritious food exacerbates the risks involved in pregnancy that we often link to structural inequalities within our society.

So, on top of housing insecurity, health disparities, unequal justice and lack of access to healthcare, the absence of healthy foods only increases Black women’s predisposition to nutrition-related pregnancy complications like high blood pressure, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

Food apartheid reveals that Black communities aren’t necessarily lacking food options, but are in food swamps that offer an abundance of highly processed foods.  This makes the fight to obtain whole foods, healthy fruits and vegetables even more complicated.

Poor nutritional intake for Black mothers also leads to higher rates of preterm and low birthweight births among Black infants. This can lead to increased C-sections and the possible need for antibiotics just for Black babies to have a fighting chance.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a 23 percent decline in the United States fertility rate since 2007. This is a significant change, and conservatives are sounding the alarm that people need to have more babies.

A Fox News analyst remarked that the problem lies with “teens and young adults 15-19… we’re telling people that are young not to have babies, to wait until they’re in a more stable life situation ’til they’re more financially secure.”

Say what now? So, you want folks, especially teenagers, to try to have more babies as you cut funding for research on Black mothers and systemically deny them access to nutritious food? The inference is simply ridiculous.

While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. makes TikTok videos to sell his Make America Healthy Again agenda to the masses, there is no evidence that this plan will make the necessary investments for long-term sustained health of Americans— especially for Black women and families.

The administration must stop talking out of both sides of its mouth. If you truly value the health of Black folks, show us by investing in much-needed research, tools, and resources that will reduce these glaring disparities in Black maternal and infant health.

Show us that you want the same privileges afforded to you, given to those who need it most.

Dr. Chris Pernell is the Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity.