Over 5.6 million U.S. women live in “maternity care deserts,” counties with no access to obstetric care through a hospital or other provider, according to the latest analysis by the March of Dimes. Since the organization’s initial report on the issue in 2018, access to hospital obstetric care units has declined in 369 counties and 70 more counties have been classified as maternity care deserts, with the highest proportion in states with more rural populations, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Oklahoma and Nebraska, the organization said.
 
“These reports come during a critical time for hospitals struggling with maternity unit closures, recruitment, and staffing,” the March of Dimes notes. “Even before the pandemic, hospitals started closing maternity units across the country due to low birth volume and rising costs.”
 
The AHA has highlighted the challenge of providing obstetric services in rural areas and provides members with resources to improve maternal and child health through the Better Health for Mothers and Babies initiative.

Related News Articles

Headline
Nearly 57% of mothers did not attend a postpartum follow-up visit three to eight weeks after giving birth, according to a report published July 29 by Cedar…
Headline
The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,…
Headline
The Joint Commission July 29 announced an initiative to address “gaps” in how children’s hospitals are accredited and certified. The program will remove or…
Headline
The AHA July 24 announced it is collaborating with health care technology leader Epic to help hospitals adopt tools that support the early detection and…
Headline
A Health Affairs study on the decline of obstetric services in rural and urban hospitals nationwide from 2010-2022 found that seven states had at least 25% of…
Headline
The latest video in the AHA’s series “Medicaid: Real Lives, Real Care” features Melissa Fannon-Wisner, DNP, nurse educator and nurse practitioner at Valley…