Vulnerable Populations: Indigenous Maternal Health

This week's focus is on vulnerable populations. The learning activities this week have really opened up my eyes to the importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity in health care.

The articles and papers I've been reviewing on the maternal health of Indigenous women and their experiences with medical evacuation outside of their communities was eye opening and helped me understand some of the determinants negatively impacting maternal health and infant mortality in this vulnerable population.

It became clear why there was such a strong need for culturally appropriate birthing support by Indigenous midwives.  The fear of leaving their communities and people who could support them was evident in the systematic review of experiences of Indigenous women.  There were descriptions of fear of talking to healthcare providers whose racist and discriminatory views questioned the capability of Indigenous parents to care for their newborns.  This fear of asking questions about newborn care could contribute to the increased infant mortality rates in the Indigenous populations.

When I read this article:   https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-indigenous-women-forced-sterilization-lawsuit-1.4904421

it highlighted the real fear that Indigenous women have of leaving their communities to give birth and only strengthens the need to have culturally appropriate birthing centers in Indigenous communities so that Indigenous women can give birth in their community feeling supported, protected and without fear of assimilation.

Reference:

Canadian Broadcasting Company. (2018, November 14). Class-action lawyer told of 2 coerced sterilizations of Indigenous women in Manitoba. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-indigenous-women-forced-sterilization-lawsuit-1.4904421