GREENSBORO, N.C. — Heart disease is the number one killer of new moms. In fact, black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.
In response to high rates of infant mortality in Guilford County, local barbers and hairstylists are training to provide resources and information to new and expecting parents. It's all a part of the Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies Initiative.
Sarah Fedele is the Director of Communications for the American Heart Association of the Triad. She said the aim of the initiative is to address the drivers of infant mortality while empowering mothers of Color in trusted community spaces.
“We’re going to have up to 13 different salons in Guilford County that are really being trained on how to talk more about maternal health, how to talk more about infant health, how to guide their clients, or their family members if you look at it like that to resources that can really help them,” Fedele said.
Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies is a collaboration between The American Heart Association, Every Baby Guilford, March of Dimes, and Ready for School, Ready for Life.
Health and parenting resources will be introduced to participating salons and barbershops for parents to access, including blood pressure monitors, scales, book nooks and more.
“We really find that their clients are not just clients, their clients are family,” Fedele said. “They're trusted. They have these conversations. They have these health conversations that just organically happen while they're in the chair. While they're doing somebody's nails. While they're cutting their hair. While they're styling."
To kick off the initiative, new and expecting parents are invited to attend a Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies Community Celebration on September 19. The event will include free blood pressure checks, door prizes with gifts for mom and baby, and guest speakers.
The celebration will take place at the Hot Seat Studio Salon in Greensboro from 10 a.m. to noon.