More than a third of US counties lack medical birthing facilities or obstetric clinicians, leaving over 2.3 million women in maternity care deserts.
In these deserts, women are at risk of poorer health before pregnancy and experience higher rates of preterm birth, with a 13% increased risk.
Six in ten maternity care deserts are in rural areas. Around 70% of birth centers are concentrated in just ten states.
Since 2022, closures of maternity care facilities have increased stress and reduced choices for families, impacting healthy pregnancies.
Collection
[
|
...
]