Our Crisis in Maternal Healthcare Is Uniquely American
(and the WAR ON WOMEN continues apace in the richest country in the world)
Our Crisis in Maternal Healthcare Is Uniquely American
5/11/2023 by Jeffrey D. Shahidullah
Maternal healthcare in the U.S. is largely not accessible, equitable, affordable or person-centered.
When maternal health suffers, so does newborn health and future child health. (MoMo Productions / Getty Images)
The state of maternity care in the U.S. is disheartening. Each year, up to 60,000 U.S. women experience severe complications from pregnancy and childbirth. More than 1,200 U.S. women died during pregnancy or shortly after childhood birth in 2021. Death rates among Black women were more than double that of white women. Death rates decreased in 2022, due to what the U.S. Government Accountability Office attributes to a decrease in COVID-19 complications. But maternal health outcomes are still alarming.
Compared to the 10 most high-resource countries—such as Germany, Australia and France—the U.S. ranks last in maternal death rate, maternal care workforce rate and paid parental leave allowances. Compared to all countries, the U.S. ranks 55th in maternal death rate.
In the U.S., there is a lack of universal maternal healthcare coverage and a workforce shortage of maternity care providers, such as ob-gyn physicians with a misdistribution in rural and poorer areas. This gap in access is a particular concern for Medicaid programs which cover nearly half of U.S. births and nearly two-thirds of births among Black women. Adding insult to injury, U.S. healthcare spending far exceeds any other country. This spending tends to not be distributed equitably across all populations, leading to vast racial and ethnic disparities in the ability to access and afford quality perinatal care. Maternity care spending also tends to focus on addressing complications as they occur, rather than more cost-effective preventive and primary care.
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Maternal healthcare in the U.S. is largely not accessible, equitable, affordable or person-centered. When maternal health suffers, so does newborn health and future child health. While several states have prioritized maternal and child health through their policies, far too many are standing idle despite many birth complications including maternal death being largely preventable. Maternal and perinatal care should not depend on the state where a mother lives. For this Mother’s Day, policymakers, administrators, medical practitioners and healthcare providers need to demonstrate to mothers in the U.S. that they are a priority and advocate for legislation that promotes comprehensive maternal healthcare.
https://msmagazine.com/2023/05/11/mothers-day-maternal-health-black-women-paid-leave-texas/