THIS HAS BEEN A LANCASTER TOYOTA TRAFFIC REPORT. IT IS BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK AND DOCTORS AT UPMC ARE HIGHLIGHTING DISPARITIES IN MATERNAL HEALTH. THEY’RE HOPING FOR A CHANGE, THOUGH NEWS EIGHT’S GABRIELLE THOMAS IS LIVE AT UPMC IN YORK COUNTY WITH MORE GABRIELLE. GOOD MORNING, MATT AND CAITLIN. WELL, BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK IS A MOMENT FOR BLACK WOMEN TO FEEL SEEN. IT’S A WAY TO CELEBRATE AWARENESS AND TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO GIVE BLACK WOMEN THE BEST BIRTHING EXPERIENCE. NOW, ACCORDING TO THE CDC, BLACK WOMEN HAVE THE HIGHEST MORTALITY RATE IN THE UNITED STATES. 50,000 WOMEN IN THE U.S. SUFFER FROM PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS EVERY YEAR, BUT BLACK WOMEN ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM PREGNANCY RELATED CAUSES THAN WHITE WOMEN. STUDIES SHOW THAT EXPECTING MOMS OR MOMS OF COLOR SUFFER MAJOR INJURIES OR COMPLICATIONS DUE TO BEING DISMISSED OR IGNORED. WE SPOKE WITH A DOCTOR FROM UPMC, AND SHE SAYS BLACK WOMEN SHOULD ALWAYS ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AS A BLACK WOMAN, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT SOMETIMES FOR US TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT. WE DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN AS BEING ANGRY. BEING OPPOSITIONAL AND SO FORTH. UM, SO IT IS IT’S VERY DIFFICULT. SO I’M GOING TO SAY THAT IT’S NOT JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PATIENT, BUT IT’S ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. IF YOU SEE URGENT MATERNAL WARNING SIGNS IN YOUR LOVED ONE DURING PREGNANCY, LIKE SEVERE SWELLING, LACK OF FETAL MOVEMENT, TROUBLE BREATHING OR OTHER COMPLICATIONS, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CONTACT A DOCTOR TO GET IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUR LOVED ONE. NOW, DOCTORS SAY IT’S SUPER IMPORTANT TO BE IN THE KNOW AND KIND OF KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOUR LOVED ONE, BECAUSE IF THEY CAN’T SPEAK, YOU STANDING UP FOR THEM COULD LITERALLY SAVE THEIR LIFE. LIVE IN WE