To the editors:
The United States remains one of the few developed nations where maternal mortality rates are rising rather than falling. When mental health is factored into this crisis, the picture becomes even more troubling — and disparities along racial and socioeconomic lines become impossible to ignore.
Infant and maternal mental health (IMMH) is defined as emotional, relational and psychological wellbeing of infants from the perinatal period through age 3, along with that of their mothers or caretakers. IMMH is an increasingly recognized field of study — one whose early relational foundations have direct implications for lifelong health outcomes. However, the data alone is insufficient — equally critical is examining how the impacts of this crisis are distributed unevenly, with outcomes worse particularly among historically disenfranchised communities and communities of color.
Nowhere is this crisis more visible than in Oklahoma. From a low of 5.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020, that figure has grown to 7.1. The weight of these statistics are not equally felt. Black women bear the heaviest burden in this crisis, with 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in the U.S. — more than twice the rate for white women (19 deaths per 100,000 live births) and nearly four times that of Asian women (13.2 deaths per 100,000 live births). Overall, Oklahoma is among the top 10 states with the highest infant mortality rates.
When assessing these rates, the data is not only alarming but serves as a chilling reminder of how structural racism fundamentally shapes health disparities and outcomes. Tribal communities in Oklahoma are also disproportionately affected. The mortality rate for American Indian/Alaska Native infants was 64 percent higher than infants nationwide. The trauma inflicted on Indigenous communities, through centuries of sanctioned violence does not live in the past — it lives in the body, the family and the community. It reverberates across generations and shapes the emotional, physical and psychological outcomes of Indigenous mothers and infants today.
Awareness without action is not a system, it is a patchwork, and families cannot afford the gaps. Oklahoma families are living in those gaps right now. Closing those gaps requires more than research — it requires investment, advocacy and genuine commitment to culturally grounded care at every level.
Black and Indigenous mothers in Oklahoma are not statistics. They are our community, and they deserve a system that is built to protect them.
The data provide a clear picture of who is being left behind. Now, we must ask who is willing to do something about it.
Nerissa Desireé Crisostomo
Tulsa
MSW student, University of Oklahoma
(Editor’s note: NonDoc runs Letters to the Editors of approximately 300 to 500 words. NonDoc reserves the right to edit lightly for length, style and grammar. We value a diverse set of voices respectfully discussing issues from different perspectives. To submit a letter for publication, please write to letters@nondoc.com.)
