The Importance of Preventing Black Maternal and Infant Mortality

When we talk about maternal health in North Carolina, and especially Black maternal health, we are talking about a crisis that is urgent, undeniable, and deeply personal to so many families across our state. We are talking about mothers who are doing everything right; showing up to appointments, asking the right questions, caring for their families, and yet still facing barriers that should not exist in 2026.

Right now, 1 in 6 counties in North Carolina is a maternity care desert, leaving tens of thousands of women without a local obstetric clinician or birthing facility and forcing far too many to travel long distances just to bring life into this world. These structural gaps fall heaviest on Black women, who are already disproportionately at risk of complications and loss. Long travel times, inconsistent access to providers, and lack of culturally competent care compound the dangers for moms who are simply trying to survive pregnancy and childbirth. 

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In North Carolina, the maternal mortality rate for Black, non-Hispanic women is 44.8 per 100,000 live births, compared to 14.2 among white moms, and 85.7% of these deaths were preventable. Moreover, the infant mortality rate among babies born to Black moms is 1.7 times higher than the state rate. It is unfathomable to me that in 2026, 12.1 Black babies still die for every 1,000 live births. 

This is why maternal health, and specifically Black maternal health, deserves our full attention because behind every statistic is a story, a family, and a future. 

Tomeka and Brandon Isaac’s family is one of those. 

Tomeka, born and raised in North Carolina, began her pregnancy journey in 2017 with full faith in our healthcare system to keep her safe; unfortunately, she was not kept safe.

On May 14, 2018, at nearly 36 weeks pregnant, after collapsing at home with no warning, she was rushed to the hospital. It was then that she was told by what she describes as “emotionless hospital staff” that her son would be born still. 

While in the hospital, Tomeka was diagnosed with HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, Low Platelets) Syndrome, a life-threatening condition. She spent 45 days in the hospital undergoing multiple surgeries and even developed an infection so severe that she missed her son’s funeral.

No parent should lose their child. No mother should come that close to losing her life, and no family should go through what the Isaacs endured. 

Once she began searching for answers about what happened to Jace, she learned that basic routine care was missed throughout her pregnancy. 

She was not given consistent urine testing during a high-risk pregnancy; she was not informed about tracking the movement of her baby, nor was she educated on the warning signs for preeclampsia/HELLP Syndrome. 

Fortunately, Tomeka and her husband have turned their grief, pain, and loss into purpose by founding Jace’s Journey to ensure other families do not go through the same thing. She says, “Stillbirth is not just about losing a baby. It is also about the health and safety of mothers. Women who experience stillbirth face significantly higher risks of severe complications and even death. So when we talk about preventing stillbirth, we are talking about saving two lives at once.”

Tomeka is a shining example that grief does not have to be the end; she is an Ambassador for Count the Kicks, educating communities on kick counting to prevent stillbirths and reduce disparities in North Carolina. 

Over the last year, I have worked closely with Tomeka and Count the Kicks, an evidence-based program founded by Healthy Birth Day, Inc. that teaches expectant parents the importance of tracking fetal movements. 

Together, we created SB909: The Building Understanding of Movement in Pregnancy Act, or ‘The BUMP Act,’ which proposes the launch of a statewide Count the Kicks campaign to teach expectant parents to monitor their baby’s movements daily during the third trimester. 

The BUMP Act promotes simple methods, such as a free mobile app or paper chart, for parents to track how long it takes to feel a set number of movements and learn what is normal for their baby, so they can quickly recognize and report any changes that may signal distress. The program emphasizes that changes in fetal movement can be an early warning sign of complications, empowering parents to seek timely medical care, improving birth outcomes, and reducing preventable stillbirths.

This legislation ensures that North Carolina families receive clear, consistent information about warning signs and fetal movements. Although it did not move out of committee during this past legislative session, I will refile it in the long session and continue to refile it, along with similar legislation, for mothers like Tomeka and babies like Jace. 

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Senator Natalie S. Murdock represents Durham and Chatham Counties in the North Carolina Senate. Elected in 2020, she made history as the first woman of color under 40 elected to the NC General Assembly. Her legislative work focuses on Black maternal health, healthcare access, economic development, environmental protection, and voting rights.

Learn more at natalie-murdock.com