Stress, Racism May Endanger Black Infants
| More news stories on Bizarre Racism Charges |
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Sherri Ackerman, Tampa Tribune, September 28, 2008
When Gaye Lamar had her second miscarriage three months ago, she didn’t think about all the reasons why.
The 27-year-old mother of three girls has struggled with high blood pressure and diabetes and was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition characterized by hypertension and swelling of the hands and feet, during the birth of her second child.
But other factors may have contributed to her recent loss: chronic stress and racism.
In Hillsborough County, Lamar, a black, married high school graduate, is twice as likely as a white woman to have a baby die in its first year of life. Even if Lamar had a college degree, research shows her chances would still be greater than that of a white mother who was a high school dropout.
The questions of why that is and what can be done about it have frustrated doctors and researchers in recent years. Not only are black women much more likely to have a baby die within its first year, they’re more likely, like Lamar, to have unsuccessful pregnancies.
Study Asks ‘What Is Different?’
New research is beginning to point toward a complicated answer that takes into account life and societal factors such as education and racism as well as genetic contributors.
{snip}
Florida health statistics show that in 2005, the mortality rate for black infants was 4.4 times higher than that of white infants. That number decreased slightly in 2006, but rose in 2007, Stanley said.
It’s too soon to know why the rates have fluctuated, she said. Such determinations usually take about three years.
{snip}
At a town hall meeting last week, researchers presented findings from a survey on black infant mortality conducted in April. Focus groups made up of 97 women and men 18 and older who live in the predominately black neighborhoods of East Tampa were asked what factors they thought contributed to so many infant deaths in their community.
{snip}
Respondents noted that black women often are heads of households and sole wage-earners raising their children’s children, nieces and nephews. Some might live in dangerous neighborhoods.
“They’re stressed out,” said Terri Ashmeade, director of Tampa General Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. “This is what is impacting our community. And I’m not afraid to bring up racism.”
Much More To Learn
The stressors include things such as a nurse assuming you are covered by Medicaid because you are black or a doctor refusing service because you’re on public assistance.
The constant battle is wearing them out, residents said. What was surprising, though, was who was doing the discriminating, researchers said.
Some of the participants reported being treated poorly at their doctors’ offices by front-desk staff—many of whom were also black.
{snip}
Email Sherri Ackerman at sackerman@tampatrib.com.
(Posted on September 29, 2008)
Comments
Wasn’t there an amren article that referred to how it’s been proven that the average black has a higher self-esteem than the average white?
Posted by at 6:29 PM on September 29
“But other factors may have contributed to her recent loss: chronic stress and racism.”
So, in other words, black men being in jail, or being with a white woman, or being abusive, or all three, and a government offering her affirmative action and/or AFDC, it’s all really racism, against her. When in doubt, why not the blame white man even more?
Posted by at 6:45 PM on September 29
actually they meant “CHRONIC STRESS OF BLACKISM” not racism.
Posted by at 6:46 PM on September 29
One of the factors leading to hypertension in Western Hemisphere blacks is their ability to retain salt, which naturally raises blood pressure. This salt-retention was accidentally selected for on the slave ships, as it was a survival trait on the passage across the Atlantic. “Racism” does not cause this. Eating the salty, fried food so many of them like sure matters, though! Perhaps they should cut that out.
The woman cited in the article was also described as having diabetes, but the article does not state whether this was childhood (Type-1) diabetes, which stems from an accidental birth defect in body insulin levels, or adult (Type-2) diabetes, which is usually caused by being grossly overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle. Since “racism” does not cause accidental birth defects in children or morbid overeating in adults who ought to know better - especially in a weight-obsessed society like ours, diabetes can also be ruled out as evidence that “racism” is harming the health of blacks. Perhaps they should stop overeating.
If these people are “stressed out” as the article suggests because many of them live in “dangerous neighborhoods”, as the article admits, it is eminently fair to raise the question as to who has made these neighborhoods dangerous. The answer, of course, is that blacks themselves have made their own neighborhoods dangerous. Perhaps they should cut the violence out.
Perhaps, but US black culture does not condone taking a look at the one thing they have absolute, direct control over: their own behavior, rather than childishly blaming whites and “racism” for every woe that affects them.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 6:51 PM on September 29
“Respondents noted that black women often are heads of households and sole wage-earners raising their children’s children, nieces and nephews. Some might live in dangerous neighborhoods.”
Yup, RACISM.
“Some of the participants reported being treated poorly at their doctors’ offices by front-desk staff—many of whom were also black.”
Double yup, RACISM.
Had to love Terri’s quote: “And I’m not afraid to bring up racism.” Why would you be afraid, dear Terri? No one’s going to fire you. You are a member of an officially protected class. You have NOTHING to lose and plenty to gain if you bring up racism.
What a joke.
Posted by notawn at 7:01 PM on September 29
Anytime a researcher says the reasons for something is complicated, he is greasing you up for a good shafting. After all, everybody in the know, will surely recognize whitey as the “all evil”. Mortality rates amongst blacks may have something to do with the lifestyles of the pregnant mothers-to-be. Being a cocaine/crack head during pregnancy cannot be a good factor. If the majority of black women are raising their children alone, then that is a failure of black culture. Actually, I know a few black women that prefer to raise their children alone, it is safer for the family. Stressed out? Who the Hell isn’t stressed out.
Posted by at 7:03 PM on September 29
The 27-year-old mother of three girls has struggled with high blood pressure and diabetes and was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition characterized by hypertension and swelling of the hands and feet
Maybe one of the problems is that she is only 27 and already has diabetes, a disease that’s more typically diagnosed around 50? The original article has no pictures, but from the diseases mentioned — hypertension and diabetes — I’d say it’s a good bet Gaye Lamar is extremely overweight, obesity being a major risk factor in both cases.
Preeclampsia is also associated with poor vitamin intake and low vitamin D in particular, so the picture I am getting (and it’s just an educated guess) is of a woman eating a very large amount of non-nutritive junk food, and whose consequent obesity keeps her mostly housebound (and therefore not getting enough sunlight). None of this can be good for the fetus, but it sure doesn’t have anything to do with racism.
Posted by Dave at 7:30 PM on September 29
It appears the print edition showed a photo of the poor victim.
As to be expected with hypertension and diabetes, she was morbidly obese. She is 27, had three children and is on medicaid. I condemn unhealthy lifestyles. I condemn reckless breeding, sponging off welfare, that can only mean I am a racist.
Posted by ciccio at 7:37 PM on September 29
If these women would just take better care of themselves they would not have problem pregnancies.
Posted by Spartan24 at 10:22 PM on September 29
What doesn’t affect the Black race ? Even with their
race viewed as the center of the universe by the
Multicult. They still have it so bad , due to the
unseen bogeyman in their mind - racism.
Posted by Dr. Caligari at 10:56 PM on September 29
Is there anything — ANYTHING — negative that happens to American blacks that they won’t try to blame on “White racism”? The answer, of course, is, “Of course not. It’s the easiest, quickest way to avoid any responsibility for our failures, and to try to play on your White guilt to try to force YOU to do something about them, so WE don’t have to.”
Abandonment by biological fathers? White racism. Dangerous neighborhoods (the danger emanating entirely from blacks themselves)? White racism. Lack of transportation in inner-city neighborhoods? White racism. I wonder that we don’t get blamed for sickle-cell anemia, too.
Posted by Wayne Engle at 11:03 PM on September 29
This uncontrollable breeding by ones who should not be breeding is left for future generations to solve.
Posted by at 1:30 AM on September 30
Stress ? How about the stress the blacks and browns put on the original-American, namely : murder, muggings, shoplifting,carjacking, kidnapping, disproportionately using unconstitutional social services and using up our tax monies, so we have to work harder to stay afloat, affirmative actions , quotas; etc. .
Posted by Michigan Patriot at 7:00 AM on September 30
It’s no doubt very stressful going through life with a relatively low IQ, and having your Black leaders telling you that you’re just as smart and capable as everyone else.
It’s stressful having to use your low IQ to come up with reasons to blame White people in the suburbs for the rampant violence in your own ghetto neighborhood.
It’s stressful on an unborn child knowing it will be born with a low IQ yet also have an unwarranted high sense of self-esteem and entitlement.
And most of all, it’s stressful to realize that even your high IQ Black doctor treats you just like ‘racist’ Whites and doesn’t want anything to do with you because you’re a helpless cause.
Posted by at 8:40 AM on September 30
Three kids and two miscarages at age 27? Methinks that her reproductive system sounds a little overworked. Did any of these so called experts ever think about that as a cause for the young woman’s medical problems?
Posted by at 10:41 AM on September 30
There is a similar issue going on in the US Army. According to the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program, ALL minority deviant behavior is caused by their frustrations for being oppressed by white people! Google, “Exposing the Army’s Equal Opportunity Double Standard” for more info.
Posted by Mills at 10:45 AM on September 30
As for infant mortality, could Crack and babies and toddlers being slammed against walls by the “boy friend” in whose charge these wonderful mothers leave them have anything to do with it?
Posted by at 4:11 PM on September 30
“Stress, Racism May Endanger Black Infants.”
Then QUICK, send them to Africa where they don’t have to tolerate racist whites! Time’s awasting. Hurry.
Posted by ICE at 11:23 PM on September 30
As overweight as the woman in question has been described, I am suprised at two things: 1. That she is able to become pregnant at all. 2. That she can find a fellow willing to participate in these endeavors.
I’ll ‘fess up here, though. As a racist white male who at the age of 42 looks approximately 25, it is all my fault Miss Lamar is obese, diabetic, hypertense, and a single mother who is tragically unable to have more children. All my fault. Worse still, I am so cruelly insensitive as to wish I could keep the tax money my wife and I are compelled to spend on her and the future crackheads… er… brain surgeons and rocket scientists she has produced, so we could afford another child of our own. Strangely, we have figured out the arcane science of birth-control, and are able to avoid having unplanned offspring at will.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 1:16 PM on October 1
“They’re stressed out,” said Terri Ashmeade, director of Tampa General Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. “This is what is impacting our community. And I’m not afraid to bring up racism.”
Why not, it’s the counterfeit excuse that’s been used by Bozos like you for over fifty years. It’s the same Black jibber jabbers who need to be in Africa to elevate this poor sad condition.
Posted by Ralph Cramden at 8:38 PM on October 4