Nearly 45% of Mississippi counties are maternity care deserts lacking hospital labor and delivery services or obstetric clinicians, putting the state last nationwide in maternal and infant care, according to a new report by the March of Dimes.
The report highlights severe care deficits affecting nearly 107,000 women and approximately 7,000 births annually across the state. Maternal health advocates say the findings reflect the daily struggles families and healthcare providers face.
Tiara Jackson
Mississippi ranks last in maternal and infant care, March of Dimes report finds
Jillian Harper-Peavy, director of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, suggested state incentives such as medical education cost assistance and stipends to recruit OB-GYNs, nurse-midwives, and specialists to underserved areas.
“Being open-minded to birth centers, to having more nurse midwives and midwives involved, doulas being a part of the equation,” she said.
Dr. Nakeitra Burse, founder and executive director of Jackson-based Six Dimensions, emphasized that Medicaid policy must also serve as a cornerstone for reform, pointing to the state's postpartum coverage extension.
“Medicaid expansion for Mississippi mothers really means everything,” Burse said.
Burse added that care cannot end after the standard six-week postpartum checkup, as life-threatening conditions such as preeclampsia, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes can manifest long after delivery.
Jalyn Owens, mother of a 3-year-old girl, stressed that active listening from healthcare providers and adequate community resources are vital for maternal and infant safety.
“By the time when you get pregnant, you're already signing up for your life being at risk,” Owens said. “That’s the reality. You're putting your life at risk to bring another life into the world.”
Advocates maintain that true success will ultimately be measured by tangible improvements in maternal and infant survival and health metrics.