Toronto-based doula service aims to end disparities in Black maternal and neonatal health

When Jordyn Ledgister, who runs an online community for Black doulas, first came across a 2016 McGill University research paper, it confirmed her – and many other Black women’s – concerns about the risks to Black maternal and neonatal health. The study showed that Black mothers in Canada experienced a preterm birth rate of 8.9 per cent, compared to 5.9 per cent among white mothers.

“People often like to say there are no disparities in Canada,” she said. “But that study was one of the few that spoke to Black maternal health. As doulas in the Black community, we already knew these disparities existed, we just didn’t have the data to prove it.”