Aim/PurposeDetermine if Black birthing people who delivered their babies in Quebec face more complications, death, and overall worse perinatal experiences than their White counterparts.

BackgroundWith the recent surge of research on American Black maternal health demonstrating apparent discrepancies between the rates of Maternal morbidity and mortality, Canada’s lack of interest in this potential issue is more salient than ever. Unlike its southern neighbor, Canada, does not have a concise approach to data collection on maternal health with respect to the birthing parents’ ethnicity or race.

MethodologyQualitative research, including a literature review and the interview of a key informant. The literature review is an analysis of the currently available research on Black maternal health and experience in North America, while the interview tackles the issue on a provincial level. In this 30-minute interview, a medical student and doula answers 15 questions pertaining to the current perinatal conditions of Black birthing people in Quebec.

FindingsThe perinatal experience of Black birthing people in Quebec is influenced by many factors that are often out of the control of these patients. (1) Having access to Black physicians, (2) having a healthy social support system, (3) having access to complimentary medical resources, (4) the lack of empathy demonstrated by healthcare professionals, (5) determinants of health, and (6) overall culturally unsafe practices are all elements of the perinatal experience that can negatively affect Black birthing parents.

Impact on SocietyThis research could act as a steppingstone for further exhaustive research addressing the Black maternal experience in Quebec. In creating this study, we seek to open the door for more conversations not only on an academic level but hopefully on a juristic level.