“It's becoming ever more dangerous to give birth in America, especially for Black women, older women and those living in rural areas, according to a pair of new reports from March of Dimes and Milken Institute,” reported Axios.com.
“Nationally, the maternal mortality rate in 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births – nearly double the 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).”
Mississippi, no surprise, had the highest rate among the states at 82.5 mom deaths per 100,000 live births.
Another no surprise, Mississippi still leads the nation in infant mortality.
“Mississippi led the nation with a rate of 10 deaths per 1,000 live births, almost twice the national rate of 5.73,” reported Mississippi Today citing CDC data. Mississippi’s number was 15% higher than the second ranked state, Alabama.
A recent March of Dimes report labeled 42 of Mississippi’s 82 counties “maternity care deserts.” These are counties with no OB-GYNs, certified nurse midwives, or hospitals that offer obstetric care. Another nine counties were deemed “low access” areas. (See state data at https://www.marchofdimes.org/
Contributing to the problem are high rates of premature births and low birth weight babies and low breastfeeding rates, categories in which Mississippi also rates the worst compared to other states.
The big picture nationally, said Axios, shows rural communities “struggling with health care access issues that go well beyond maternity care. And many obstetrics unit closures are about money, not politics.”
That’s Mississippi too.
Financially strapped hospitals discontinuing maternity care and emergency rooms, depleted county health departments out of the clinical care business, and struggling rural counties unable to attract certified nurse midwives much less OB-GYNs largely describe the primary problem. Lack of health insurance, limited access to primary care, physician and nurse shortages, and limited transport options help describe larger access challenges.
State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney knows the problems but with limited resources can only take baby steps when giant steps are needed. Saving moms and babies requires increased access to obstetrics care – OB-GYNs, trained primary care physicians, certified nurse mid-wives, and birthing centers – in rural county after rural county across the state.
Good luck getting that.
The expansion of Medicaid post-partum insurance coverage earlier this year was a welcome but limited exception to the Legislature’s enduring legacy of indifference to maternal and infant mortality and declining healthcare access in rural areas.
In a different setting, that level of indifference would have been considered depraved indifference given its consequences – dead moms and babies who could have been saved.
“Don’t fail to rescue those who are doomed to die” – Proverbs 24:11.
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
19 comments:
It’s becoming more dangerous because we have lowered the standards for healthcare workers. Just spend any amount of time in the hospital. You will see neglectful, obese, tattooed nurses with bad attitudes, and doctors brought in on visas from places without flush toilets, who speak an incomprehensible dialect.
Sorry doctor third-worlder. I really don’t mean to be racist. But I need someone who can communicate effectively.
'And many obstetrics unit closures are about money, not politics.'
Declining population = declining money, reduced medical services, fewer medical service providers.
Medicaid expansion and other subsidies will not stop rural Mississippi population losses. Hospital Service Areas live and die on population. You can't subsidize Physician:Population ratios into solvency.
MS-2 recently grew geographically because of population loss. When will Bill Crawford ask the sitting 20-year incumbent representative of that Congressional district why?
It’s not politics? You are right, we should just let them die. How dare they be poor given the opportunities offered my this great state.
And the good news, we are actually first at something!
9:48, perhaps those that are living in the medical, food, job, education, etc. deserts don't have the means to move elsewhere. Apparently, those that have left did.
9:20. Had I not experienced every thing you outlined with the hospitalization of a loved one I would not have believed your post.
Maybe not every hospital or every floor or unit but our recent experience was terrible.
More than any other state in this region, Mississippi's priorities have not changed much. In the rural areas, the "rich folks" have health care and everything else just fine. Always have. As long as they have the resources available to them, public or private, Mississippi government is satisfied. The health care and education of the rural poor has never been a priority and the victims are too divided by race to unite and demand better treatment. Some would refer to all this as a vestige of the "plantation mentality". Maybe so.
@9:48 the question should be what has the sitting representative done at all to help his constituents.
11:35 AM, it has always been the dream of progressive Democrats to kill off rural America and force people into cities. Paying those that haven't left yet to do so would be far more cost effective than throwing money into failing rural hospitals.
Cry me a river, Bill.
First, I you KNOW you don’t have access to proper pre-natal care or health care for your baby once it’s born, I think it’s irresponsible of these women to go ahead and get pregnant in the first place, knowing that their situation may not be optimal.
Second, these are the same voting group that fights FOR abortion. So, which is it? You WANT babies, or do you want to kill them? You can’t have it both ways.
How about we just let every take responsibility for our own healthcare?
Is Crawford having labor pains as a result of advanced age?
People talking about Mississippi being a Third World country while deluding themselves in thinking they still live in a First World country.
Could it be (and I’m just spitballing here) that areas with high densities of people with comorbidities (obesity, smoking, diabetes, etc) are going to have less healthy outcomes regardless of whether there’s a maternity ward next to each McDonald’s? It’s the same thing as the Medicaid debate. At some point it’s throwing good money after bad if our citizens won’t take charge of their own health. If there are studies that directly show that healthcare facility availability independent of comorbidities made a gigantic difference, I’d be open to review that. But all of the press coverage just instantly assumes away that the number of facilities equals a proportionately healthier population and I’m not sure I buy that.
Medicaid expansion would save several rural hospitals, but Tate will not budge. Providing health care to the poor is not one of his priorities. Stupid. Racist. Cruel.
Quit having babies if you can not afford the care.
Bill-
you neglected to mention pregnant mothers on drugs-
I will try again to post a little truth in the matter. I have tried several times but kf must be sweet on Crawford and he keeps deleting my posts. Black women, older women, and women living in rural areas have always been in the same shape as they are now. It should be common sense but Bill decided he would put this down on paper so everyone could learn from his research. Mississippi has always led the U.S. in infant mortality. Probably always will.
KF, if you insist on posting dribble like this from the same man why not let people post a little common sense about it?
Some of you might want to wonder if you are so damn much smarter than Mr. Crawford why in Mississippi the poor get poorer and have more children and why like in Haiti, criminal gangs are getting stronger.
And, I would ask some of you to wonder why it is that more humans that CAN afford children are having to turn to fertility clinics for help? Could the fact that they did wait to be able to afford children ( which for many includes child care as both parents are working and includes private school as they valued a good education)?
The ignorance, particularly of human biology and reproduction and math and history of so many of those commenting is depressing! Some of you don't realize how that you are embracing the same misogynistic and economic policies of other failed countries that were once impressive. And,the "strong man" governments always end up over time with a series of dummies.
We aren't increasing vital numbers or even replacing our best and brightest.
11:03 am Bill states the obvious because Mississippians like you accept the status quo and don't seem to know you can change that as have some other cities and States. He gives you more credit that I do.
Talk to your children and grandchildren if they are adults or nearing adulthood and see how many of their classmates who have been successful remained.
Doing the same things over and over guarantee the same outcomes.
And, let me warn you, unlike in past times, major universities are heavily recruiting our smartest kids and offering not just full tuition but living expenses and transportation for them to come home. A really smart child will not always be dependent on you!
Be grateful that at least some of the Mississippi rich here actually live here or have an additional home here or come back to die. But, you are losing more of them and their children that you imagine.
I share the views of the poster who decries 'third world doctors who struggle with the English language'.
However, when an MD finishes residency (or during) and goes about the process of deciding where he/she wants to practice and raise a family, how many will select congressional district 2 or most other areas of this state.
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