The Pennsylvania Department of Health will soon be required to track the health issues that mothers go through during pregnancy and birth, as part of an effort to address the state’s high maternal death rates. The General Assembly sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk last week that would require the Department of Health […]
Pa. set to study pregnancy and birth complications, with goal of healthier outcomes
Sen. Judy Schwank of Berks County touted a package of bills aimed at addressing the issues that lead to poor pregnancy and birth outcomes. One of them is now poised to become law. The measure intends to improve how the state gathers data on different health conditions and environmental factors that lead to risky pregnancies […]
Pa. House unanimously passes bill combating maternal morbidity
A bill to combat Pennsylvania’s high maternal morbidity rate unanimously passed the state House this week, and now heads to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk for final approval. The bill, which was reintroduced this session by state Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, adds “severe maternal morbidity” to the list of reportable events within the Pennsylvania Department of Health. “Accurate and regular […]
5 takeaways from AP’s series on health disparities impacting Black Americans
Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States — 69.9 per 100,000 live births for 2021, almost three times the rate for white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2021 rate was a significant increase from the prior year. Black babies are also more likely to die, and also far […]
Pennsylvania doulas can now get funding to apply for a state certificate
A nonprofit collaborating with state agencies and lawmakers is trying to expand doula services. The goal is to reduce the state’s maternal mortality rate, especially in communities of color, where that rate tends to be higher. Doulas, who are non-medical professionals who provide emotional, physical and educational support to patients during pregnancy, are not part […]
Maternal mortality crisis among top concerns for state lawmakers, Shapiro admin
In his first budget address to state lawmakers last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro said that “for the first time” the commonwealth is going to put “real resources” into studying the root causes of Pennsylvania’s high maternal mortality rate, which is three times higher for Black women. A 2022 report from the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which reviews […]
POV: Overturning Roe v. Wade Will Worsen Health Inequities in All Reproductive Care
The recent national conversation has appropriately focused on the devastating impact of limiting or banning access to abortion care. Conservative estimates show that in the year following the overturning of Roe, at least 75,000 people who want, but cannot get, abortions will give birth instead. And these people are facing higher than ever—and rising—pregnancy-related mortality rates. […]
Report: Black women account for 73% of Philadelphia’s pregnancy-related deaths
A report by the Philadelphia Maternal Mortality Review Committee has found that non-Hispanic Black women made up 43% of births in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2018 but accounted for 73% of the pregnancy-related deaths. The “Improving Outcomes: Maternal Mortality in Philadelphia” report indicates pregnancy-related deaths in the city from 2013 to 2018 was approximately 20 per […]
Maternal mortality rates increased during 1st year of COVID pandemic: CDC
Maternal mortality rates in the U.S. rose during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial disparities that existed before the pandemic were perpetuated, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report looked at data from the CDC’s National Centers for Health Statistics and compared 2020 rates to […]
What We See in the Shameful Trends on U.S. Maternal Health
Compared with its peers, the United States’ trajectory in maternal health has been shameful. Solving this worsening problem requires looking not just at the quality of care a woman receives but the entire environment around her — from her access to health care to the availability of food in her community.
