Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Unveils Moms.gov Website With Resources For Pregnancy, More
The Hill: Trump Administration Launches Moms.Gov On Mother’s Day
The Trump administration launched the website Moms.gov on Mother’s Day in an effort to help provide resources to expecting women and their families. The site’s tagline says it’s “addressing the needs of mothers and fathers who face difficult or unexpected pregnancies and ensuring the well-being of mothers and the health of American families.” Information on the website spans from details about Trump Accounts to breastfeeding, mental health, health centers, nutrition facts and adoption. (Fields, 5/10)
NBC News: FDA Claims There’s No Estrogen Patch Shortage As Women Struggle To Get Prescriptions Filled
The Food and Drug Administration removed the black box warning from hormone replacement therapies late last year, and recently, the most insured type, the estrogen patch, has been in short supply amid a boom in the therapy’s popularity. “There’s been a surge in demand for the last two or three years where the utilization of transdermal estrogen has gone up significantly,” said Dr. Robert Kauffman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Texas Tech Physicians of Amarillo. (Sullivan, 5/10)
In other reproductive health news —
The Hill: Louisiana Officials Urge Supreme Court To Keep Block On Mail-Order Abortion Pills
Louisiana officials in a court filing urged the Supreme Court to leave in place an order from a lower court that blocks women nationwide from obtaining a widely used abortion medication through the mail. The Trump administration, trying to straddle the line on abortion, was silent. Last week, Justice Samuel Alito temporarily paused an order from the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that reinstated a requirement that women must visit a health care provider in-person to obtain mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions. (Weixel, 5/8)
WUSF: Doctor Says Florida's Six-Week Abortion Ban Has Taken A Toll On Prenatal Care
Two years after Florida's six-week abortion ban went into effect, an OB/GYN with over 30 years of experience says he thinks the restrictions have taken a toll on women's pregnancy care — regardless of whether they're seeking to terminate. (Lyden, 5/11)
The Hill: Sarah Huckabee Sanders And Wes Moore Discuss Maternal Healthcare Gaps
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Sunday stressed the need for bipartisan cooperation to address maternal healthcare gaps. On Mother’s Day, the two spoke to host Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about their work to improve access to care for mothers. Sanders, a mother to three children, touted the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, which she signed into law last year. The law directed roughly $45 million annually to promote maternal health and established, among multiple provisions, presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women. (5/10)
Chicago Tribune: Chicago Mother's Heart Stopped After Giving Birth Due To Blood Clot
The last thing Chelsea Cheveria remembers after the birth of her daughter was greeting her new baby girl. “I said, ‘Hi, oh, that’s my baby,’” Cheveria, 38, recalled. She kissed the tiny newborn, and her husband told her, “You did it.” Then everything went dark. Without warning, Cheveria’s heart stopped as she lay atop the operating table where minutes earlier doctors had delivered her baby Zairah through a cesarean section. (Schencker, 5/10)
CBS News: She Gave Up On A Dream Of Growing Her Family After A Terminal Diagnosis. Then Her Husband "Flipped A Light Switch."
Maralee Lellio was surprised to be diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at 29, but she knew what her next steps would be. Her disease was treatable. Her oncologist recommended chemotherapy and surgery. The treatment was unpleasant, but through it all, she focused on a future goal: welcoming a second child. Lellio dreamed of giving her firstborn daughter, then 2, a sibling. (Breen, 5/9)
