More than 100 new and expectant parents received gifts, resources and good news Saturday at a community baby shower hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
The party, held at the Van Dyke Community Center in Brownsville, included all the usual elements of a baby shower – games, gifts, arts and crafts – as well as educational workshops and opportunities to network with experts in areas such as maternal health and infant care.
“When I became Brooklyn Borough President, I promised the Borough that eliminating maternal health disparities for Black women would be a top priority,” Reynoso said in a statement. “For too long, our system has denied new and expectant parents the basics they need to start a family. Community baby showers like this are part of Brooklyn’s new path forward for growing families.”
In 2022, Reynoso’s first year as Brooklyn Borough President, he dedicated his entire budget to maternal health programs at three public hospitals. That same year, the borough launched a public education campaign on maternal health and mortality, and a pilot program called Brooklyn Birth, which delivered boxes of baby supplies and resources to parents leaving Brooklyn hospitals with their newborns.
According to the latest data from the New York City Department of Health, New York City’s maternal mortality rate is about 51 deaths from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births, which is still much higher than the U.S. maternal mortality rate of 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births (though the method for calculating the U.S. maternal mortality rate is currently controversial, and the actual rate may be as low as 10.4 deaths per 100,000). Black women in New York City are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women: in 2020, of the 51 people who died from “pregnancy-related” causes, 23 were black and only 8 were white.
That same year, Brooklyn had the second-highest pregnancy rate among the five boroughs and the second-highest number of pregnancy-related deaths. East New York and Brownsville had some of the highest infant mortality rates in the city. According to the New York City Vital Statistics Abstract, infant mortality is significantly influenced by prenatal care and the mother’s overall health during the prenatal period, as well as newborn care and factors such as safe sleep and breastfeeding.
Two workshops at the Community Baby Shower addressed some of the most common issues facing newborns and their parents: safe infant sleep and postpartum mental health.
Dozens of local organizations supported or participated in the event: the Metropolitan Council, the Brooklyn Diaper Project, Brownsville Comprehensive Health Center, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Maternity Quality Improvement Network, and many others.
“To date, the Brooklyn Diaper Project has distributed more than 400,000 diapers to New York City families,” said Rachel Sachnoff, director of the Brooklyn Diaper Project. “As we work to deliver 1 million diapers to those in need, we recognize that there is no end in sight to this critical shortage. With one in two families in need of diapers, leaders and diaper banks must work together to provide these families with long-term equity, dignity, and independence, not just temporary distribution efforts.”
Participants left with bags filled with diapers, wipes, baby blankets, postpartum pads, parenting books, bottles, cocoa butter and more. Participants went home with bags full of baby and postpartum supplies. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
“By celebrating the exciting parenting journeys of new parents and providing resources to raise our new Brooklynites, we are proving that we can help close the maternal health gap through community, celebration, and love — just like Brooklyn does,” Reynoso added. “Congratulations to all of Brooklyn’s new families, and a huge thank you to the many partners who worked with us to create this joyful day.”
A New Jersey native and passionate about her craft, Kirstin is The Brooklyn Paper’s digital editor and a reporter covering northern Brooklyn from Greenpoint to Gowanus.