maternity

The U.S. has one of the worst maternal mortality rates of any wealthy nation. A Florida childbirth center, started by a midwife from Britain, is part of a patchwork of solutions aiming to curb those deaths.

Anti-abortion advocates want to open more of these transitional housing facilities to meet a growing need. But they also must overcome a traumatic legacy of coerced adoptions in the decades before Roe.

The facility will provide medical care and social services in a collaborative effort to reduce maternal and infant mortality, preterm birth rates and high rates of neonatal hospitalization in the city's largely Black community.

The initiative, part of a call to action by the Florida Hospital Association, aims to improve the mental health and reduce suicides of mothers before and after childbirth.

A new Florida law makes the Sunshine State the first in the nation to let cesarean sections be performed in "advanced birth centers." Some health experts are leery even though many hospitals have closed maternity wards.

Black babies are at higher risk of infant mortality than white babies. There are also several factors behind the barriers to prenatal care in Florida.

Many hospitals are shuttering their obstetrics units because insurance and Medicaid aren't reimbursing enough to cover the cost of births, the report notes.

Most states with abortion limits include exemptions for life-threatening emergencies, but only one state includes “serious mental illness” that could result in the death of the mother or fetus. It's not Florida.

A maternal telehealth pilot program that began in 2021 was expanded this year to encompass 18 counties. During a recent committee hearing, senators discussed bringing it to the rest of the state.

The study presents data on several key factors including levels of maternity care access and maternity care deserts by county, distance to birthing hospitals and availability of family planning services.