Moms and babies need us now more than ever.
The March of Dimes 2022 report, Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S., identifies counties in which access to maternity health care services is limited or absent, either through lack of services or barriers to a woman’s ability to access that care. The report found that 6.9 million women of childbearing age live in counties with limited to no access to maternity care. Women who live in these areas give birth to 1 in 8 babies (500,000 babies) a year.
About 36% of counties (1,095 counties) across the U.S. are identified as maternity care deserts – counties with no hospital that is staffed appropriately to provide care for pregnant women and no obstetrician/gynecologist or certified nurse midwives to care for them.
SUPPORT THE MAMAGENDA FOR #BLANKETCHANGE
America's moms and babies are in the middle of a crisis.
Communities everywhere continue to lose providers and hospitals, especially in rural areas and communities of color. Even when families overcome obstacles to finding care, women and babies are still facing poor health outcomes and grave disparities. The U.S. preterm birth rate has increased to 10.5%– the worst rate March of Dimes has ever reported. That’s why today we’re calling out how this crisis impacts families in the U.S.
The Mamagenda for #BlanketChange is:
• An emergency call to action for the new Congress, providing irrefutable data about the maternal health crisis in America.
• A proposal of March of Dimes' recommended, proven solutions that can help shape and make real policies.
• Legislative endorsements by our organization and 150 partners to improve the state of maternal care in America today by demanding #BlanketChange actions.
We get it, it's a massive issue. We can make a difference to improve care for moms and babies—but only if we work together. Visit BlanketChange.org to learn more.
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