Medical breakthrough will reduce number of premature births, and save the lives of more black women in the delivery room

Members of Congress will hear on Oct. 23 how a simple, inexpensive progesterone gel can reduce the number of premature births and delivery room deaths. The briefing by Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate vice president of Women’s Health and founder of the new Office of Women’s Health at Wayne State University in Detroit, will be the first in the Wayne State University Capitol Series “Improving Health Outcomes for Minority Women and Their Children,” held in partnership with U.S. Reps. Brenda Lawrence and Rashida Tlaib. The vaginal gel, to be used topically, is for women found to have a shortened cervix. Studies show it decreases the rate of preterm births. “I am truly concerned with the idea that each year nearly 700 women in the U.S. die as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications, and the risk of pregnancy-related death is three to four times as high for black women,” said Lawrence, co-chair of the Congressional Women’s Caucus. “This series hosted in collaboration with Wayne State University will allow my colleagues and me to gather the information needed to create legislation that will help improve maternal health outcomes for more women of color and their children.”