https://www.propublica.org/series/life-of-the-mother
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/25/abortion-bans-...
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/18/1111344810/abortion-ban-state...
Obgyns are also avoiding or leaving states limiting access to reproductive healthcare.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/more-medical-residents-a...
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/4721173-draconian-abo...
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/us/politics/abortion-obst... | https://archive.today/oc0Gl
https://www.axios.com/2023/04/18/abortion-ban-states-drop-st...
A contributing factor is also financial drivers making it unsustainable to provide obstetrician services in rural America, as well as birth volume declining below levels needed to make providing this care sustainable going forward.
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/12/1128335563/maternity-care-des...
https://www.marchofdimes.org/maternity-care-deserts-report-2...
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/12/nx...
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullartic...
More than half (57%) of the rural hospitals in the U.S. do not offer labor and delivery services, and in 10 states, more than two-thirds do not. Over the past five years, more than 100 rural hospitals across the country have stopped delivering babies. ~40% of the rural hospitals that still have labor & delivery services lost money on patient services overall in 2022-23, so their ability to continue delivering maternity care is at risk. In fourteen states, the majority of rural maternity care hospitals have been losing money.
https://ruralhospitals.chqpr.org/downloads/Rural_Hospitals_a...
https://ruralhospitals.chqpr.org/downloads/Rural_Maternity_C... (draw your attention to the two maps of the USA on page 1 of the PDF, compare to which states have abortion restrictions using the next link)
https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/
My analysis: As always, lots of nuance, but the big rocks are obvious. States with abortion restrictions are predominately rural. Their labor, delivery, and obstetrician services were already in peril. They doubled down. It should not be unexpected that the outcome of these confluence of factors is higher maternal mortality rates.
As is the infinite mortality rate.
I've recently heard baby size/ weight (read: over-weight) being a significant contributor to problems during birth.
It would be helpful to a general assessment of "general health" of pregnant women by state.
Surely it's not that high!
USA on this chart of worst to best is 173 of 227. Flipped over best to worst, that means the USA is out of the Top 50.
Which is so embrassassing that no political leaders are willing to mention it.