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INDIANAPOLIS — <\/span>Cradling his newborn daughter in his lap in their Indianapolis home, JaKobi Burton’s love for the new lady in his life is evident with each caress.<\/p>\n The first-time dad’s commitment started months earlier. Burton attended every medical appointment and took classes with Dads to Doulas, a program created by the organization Dear Fathers that teaches Black fathers-to-be how to provide physical, mental and spiritual support up to and after childbirth. <\/p>\n He and his wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, understood that the pregnancy came with immense risk, not just because they were in their 40s but also because they are Black. Federal health data shows Black women are almost 3.5 times more likely<\/a> than white women to die around the time of childbirth. <\/p>\n Health professionals and advocates hope that by giving Black fathers-to-be the tools to be more hands-on \u2014 through government-funded programs and nonprofit center resources \u2014 they can cut into those odds. Organizers say there has been a noticeable shift in the attitudes of some Black men who now openly discuss their pregnancy fears and insecurities.<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to know that I was involved and that I was looking out for you from the very beginning, and I\u2019m always going to be your biggest protector,\u201d Burton tells his 1-month-old daughter. \u201cThat\u2019s what I did from the beginning of this experience, trying to learn as much as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n Health disparities, racism and equal access to prenatal care<\/a> are among the contributing factors for the disparities in mortality rates among women of different races, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Two recent viral cellphone videos \u2014 including one in Indiana \u2014 show hospital staff dismissing the concerns<\/a> of Black women in labor. <\/p>\n The maternal mortality rate for Black women soars above that of other racial groups. They suffered 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. White women experienced 14.5. Hispanic and Asian women faced 12.4 and 10.7, respectively. <\/p>\n The National Healthy Start Association, which was created in 1998 to help improve infant and maternal mortality rates, has \u201cfatherhood practitioners\u201d at its 116 project sites. They, along with case managers, offer men assistance including webinars, a texting service and even cooking lessons. <\/p>\n Kenneth Scarborough, who has been the NHSA’s fatherhood and men\u2019s health consultant for 10 years, has noticed a shift toward including male partners in the efforts to preserve the health of pregnant women.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s more research that is being done to be able to change those narratives, without a shadow of a doubt,\u201d Scarborough said. \u201cThe challenge with that is still getting these institutions to understand the value of making sure that Dad is there and he is at the table.\u201d <\/p>\n Doctors still leave Black fathers \u201con the fringes of the conversation\u201d while society often codifies them as \u201cscary and rough,\u201d said Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, founder and director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University. <\/p>\n She said she has heard countless anecdotes of fathers being ignored in the exam room, even though paternal involvement is \u201cdirectly correlated with better outcomes.\u201d <\/p>\n Black patients are frequently advised to seek out an OB-GYN who looks like them, and Wilmot-Burton did just that.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought maybe she would be more caring, be more willing to listen to my issues, which she was,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But Black doctors make up a tiny share of OB-GYNs nationwide. Of the estimated 43,700 practicing OB-GYNs, 7.5% are Black women, according to 2023 data from the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Even fewer \u2014 2.3% \u2014 are Black men. <\/p>\n Deborah Frazier, the CEO of National Healthy Start, said medical organizations must let go of any stigma about paternal involvement. Black and brown fathers still face stereotypes of absenteeism. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have data and interviews with fathers, and those fathers have told us that they wanted to be there with their partners, and they wanted be present for their births,\u201d Frazier said.<\/p>\n