Dear Mama: How Postpartum Care Affects Black Motherhood

Time Commitment: I commit roughly 8-10 hours each week to the research process for this project. It lasted from January 2025 to April 2025. ​

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Research Focus: Pediatric abusive head trauma, more commonly known by the moniker of “shaken baby syndrome” (SBS) is a rare brain injury that is characterized by the forceful shaking or jostling of an infant or toddler that results in the destruction of brain cells, swelling of brain tissue, and internal bleeding. In addition to the intense physical pain that accompanies SBS, the abuse can have lasting impacts in the form of developmental delays, paralysis, vegetative states, and more. Severe and permanent injuries can occur after a mere few seconds of shaking, resulting in healthcare providers giving insistent warnings to expectant and new parents about the dangers of losing their composure, even temporarily. SBS is often scrutinized in the medical field due to its difficulty to diagnose. Identifying SBS in children is a multifaceted process. A SBS diagnosis not only implies meeting medical symptoms for brain injury, but implies the inflictor had the intent to harm a child. Unsurprisingly, new parents (and people in general) are inclined to choose self-preservation over admitting abuse. However, there are plenty of other challenges in diagnosing SBS. Since a majority of cases occur in children under two years of age, victims are typically unable to report their abuse. Additionally, symptoms of SBS often overlap with other neurological disorders. These issues characterize SBS as a deeply complex, routinely misdiagnosed, and understudied issue affecting an incredibly vulnerable population. 
Separately, investigations into the racial disparities in postpartum healthcare is an emerging field of research spanning many specific avenues. The diagnosis and treatment of postpartum psychosis in particular intertwines feminist and Black studies in healthcare. The feminist lens comes into play when looking at the lack of information and resources available to new mothers dealing with a newly acquired mental illness, while the racial lens exemplifies this issue by pointing out the ways in which Black women are marginalized through misdiagnosis and medical malpractice and suggesting that these disparities also affect the already nebulous detection of postpartum psychosis. Despite the nearly constant struggle they face, historical and contemporary examples show how Black women have contributed innovations to reproductive health in a variety of ways, though none are as controversial as infanticide. Historically, the act of infanticide during Antebellum slavery was a response to several stressors including rape, despair, and more. Though it is thought to be much more rare in contemporary societies, infanticide still occurs as a reaction to poverty, lack of education, domestic violence, single parenthood, and psychological turmoil. 

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Context: There is no doubt that there is pain in every facet of motherhood, no matter how ideal the relationship between mother and child is. However, no matter how much love exists between parents and their kids, love does not exist in a vacuum. There are plenty of instances when a mother’s strife takes over their better judgement, leading them to unseemly actions. It is imperative that researchers delve into deviations from a stereotypical “ideal” upbringing, where a mother never experiences near-crippling stress or acts in any way that may bring harm to her child. Though there are many exceptions to this “ideal” upbringing, this essay focuses on two understudied deviations from it: postpartum mental illness and child abuse as it relates to pediatric abusive head trauma. This project explored how systemic racism—through racialized medical neglect and social stereotyping—contributes to the underdiagnosis of postpartum mental illness in Black women, and how this, in turn, correlates with increased instances of pediatric abusive head trauma in Black families. By linking these two seemingly unrelated issues together, I posited that there is a larger conversation to be had surrounding SBS and Black motherhood. I utilized existing research to look for connections between these two topics to pioneer new methods of uplifting Black mothers while subverting the small amount of dated research stating that there are no correlations between race and SBS diagnosis. 

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Project Responsibilities: I was responsible for submitting a 250-word abstract to the National Council for Black Studies in addition to collaborating with undergraduate and graduate students weekly. I also created and presented a summary of my findings to a panel of other professionals and researchers at the National Council of Black Studies Conference. Additionally, I attended meetings with the Beyond120 Program at the University of Florida and networked with professionals at guest lectures. 

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