Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Access To Maternity Care In US Getting Worse, Especially For Black Women
Axios: Giving Birth In America Continues To Get Deadlier
It's becoming ever more dangerous to give birth in America, especially for Black women, older women and those living in rural areas, according to a pair of new reports from March of Dimes and Milken Institute. The dismal U.S. maternal health statistics are usually a sidebar in the abortion wars, but many experts believe that increasing the number of births by further restricting access to abortion will only worsen the situation. (Owens, 8/2)
USA Today: Maternity Care Deserts: March Of Dimes Report Shows Worsening Access
The number of women struggling to access to maternal care in the U.S. continues to grow, with nearly 7 million women affected by areas of no to low access, according to a new report released Tuesday by March of Dimes. The nonprofit organization's 2022 report shows 1,119 counties qualify as maternity care deserts, marking a 2% increase from the 2020 report or an additional 15,933 women who have no maternity care. (DeLetter, 8/1)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Where You Live Matters For Maternity Care In Georgia
More than one in three Georgia counties where thousands of Georgia mothers give birth each year is a “maternal care desert,” according to a report released Tuesday by the March of Dimes. Partly as a result, the report found, 17% of those who gave birth received no or inadequate prenatal care. (Hart, 8/2)
Houston Chronicle: Half Of Texas Counties Are Maternity Care Deserts, Report Says
Almost 47 percent of Texas counties are considered "maternity care deserts" compared to 32.6 percent in the U.S., according to a new report from the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center. (Garcia, 8/1)
