Improving Health Care Access: The Key to Ending the Maternal Mortality Crisis

 Improving Health Care Access: The Key to Ending the Maternal Mortality Crisis

Maternal mortality remains a pressing issue in the U.S., with access to health care before, during, and after pregnancy being the most effective way to save lives. Despite being a high-income country, the United States continues to experience one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally.

A Nurse’s Personal Battle Unveils the Hidden Struggles

Meagan Daigle, a maternity nurse with over a decade of experience and now the regional director of maternal-newborn and pediatrics at Ochsner Lafayette General, never imagined she'd face her postpartum health crisis.

"As a postpartum nurse, I thought I knew it all. But experiencing mental health struggles firsthand changed everything for me," she shared.

Her personal journey with postpartum depression and anxiety gave her a new lens through which to understand her patients.

• Empathy and non-judgment have now become central to her care philosophy.
  
  

• Her experience highlights how maternal mental health is often neglected, even among professionals.
  
  

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Mental Health: The Overlooked Element in Maternal Care

While physical complications get attention, mental health issues like:

• Postpartum depression
  
  

• Anxiety
  
  

• PTSD
  
  

...are rampant and often go untreated.

Many mothers suffer in silence due to stigma, lack of support, or poor awareness among healthcare providers.

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Maternal Mortality in the U.S.: A Grim Picture

According to the CDC:

• In 2022, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, a drop from 32.9 in 2021.
  
  

• Yet, the rate remains alarmingly high compared to other high-income countries.
  
  

The U.S. still leads among developed nations in maternal mortality, reflecting gaps in prenatal and postnatal care.

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Women’s Health: Chronically Underfunded

Dr. Christopher Morosky, an OB-GYN and professor at UConn Health, explained:

“Women’s reproductive health is underfunded because it doesn't generate significant revenue.”

A 2021 NIH study supports this claim, showing:

• Disproportionate funding toward male-dominant diseases.
  
  

• Insufficient research and support for conditions uniquely affecting women.
  
  

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Key Solutions to Address Maternal Mortality

Improving outcomes for mothers requires a multi-pronged approach:

1. Ensure Consistent Health Care Access

• Provide quality prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services to all women, especially in rural and underserved areas.
  
  

2. Integrate Mental Health into Maternal Care

• Normalize screening for postpartum depression and anxiety.
  
  

• Train providers to recognize and treat maternal mental health issues.
  
  

3. Increase Funding for Women’s Health

• Allocate federal and state resources to reproductive health research and services.
  
  

• Support grants and programs targeting maternal care improvements.
  
  

4. Foster Empathy in Healthcare Workers

• Encourage providers to view patients through a trauma-informed, empathetic lens, as Daigle’s experience demonstrates.
  
  

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Final Thoughts

Maternal health is not just a woman's issue—it’s a public health priority. Investing in healthcare access, funding, and mental health support can drastically reduce maternal deaths and improve the lives of countless families.

The maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. is solvable—but only if we prioritize comprehensive and equitable care for all mothers.