maternal health

Politics

Stephanie Spencer, executive director of Urban Baby Beginnings

Bringing lifesaving doula care to low-income communities in the South

By Elisha Brown

April 7, 2022 - To address the region's shockingly high rate of pregnancy-related deaths, a growing number of Southern states are expanding their Medicaid programs or launching Medicaid pilot initiatives to cover the services of doulas — nonclinical professionals who provide holistic support during all stages of pregnancy.

INSTITUTE INDEX: Addressing the South's maternal mortality crisis

By Sarah Moore

June 4, 2019 - While the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among the developed nations, Southern states have the highest rates in the U.S. — and black women are at dramatically higher risk of complications than white women. A congresswoman from North Carolina is taking action to tackle the problem.

Southern Exposure

Doctor holding a stethoscope to a child's heart

Born in the USA

By Maureen Zent

August 1, 1999 - Three years after welfare reform, immigrant children — born as U.S. citizens — are entering the world without needed prenatal care. The result: a public health tragedy with human and economic consequences for everyone.