Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) proposed the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2022, which provides government money for stillbirth prevention services. In the United States, 23,500 babies are stillborn each year, and studies reveal that approximately 1 in every 4 stillbirths may be avoided. The bill would alter the Social Security Act’s Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to provide grant funds for stillbirth prevention services.
Louisiana Senator Says That Every Should Be Done To Save Mothers And Their Newborns
Dr. Cassidy stated, “Every kid in the uterus is a life worthy of a future. Better access to stillbirth avoidance saves infants’ and mothers’ lives.” Families and individuals from all ethnicities around the United States are affected by stillbirth.
Louisiana Senator Jeff Merkley stated, “It increases the danger of maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as having a detrimental influence on parents ’ mental health and family well-being.” Among wealthy countries, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate. Every year, about 17 moms per 100,000 pregnancies die in the United States, with rates substantially higher among Black women than in other racial groups.
Nearly one in every four stillbirths might be avoided, and it is concerning that the risk of stillbirth is significantly greater among American Indian, Black, and Alaska Native women. With the incredible advancements in contemporary science, we should do everything we can to avoid stillbirth in all Americans, regardless of zip code, money, or skin color, said Cassidy. However, recent studies and data suggest that the country is not staying true to that promise, particularly for individuals in disadvantaged groups. African Americans make up about a third of our population, and they have a higher rate of maternal death, said Louisiana Senator. So, when our population is adjusted for race, we’re not as unusual as we would look.
