The U.S. is facing a maternal health care crisis. According to a new report by the March of Dimes, 1 in every 3 U.S. counties does not have a single obstetric clinician.
The March of Dimes is a nonprofit that focuses on improving the health of mothers and babies.
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To make matters worse, it said that in much of the country OB/GYNs and family doctors who deliver babies are leaving the workforce. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists predicts the U.S. will face a shortage of 12,000 to 15,000 OB/GYNs by 2050.
The March of Dimes also found that in the past five years there’s been an uptick in hospitals closing their obstetrics units for a number of reasons — from staff shortages in the wake of the pandemic to low birth volumes.
The March of Dimes found 35% of counties in the U.S. are considered maternity care deserts. That means they don’t have a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care.
Furthermore, the nonprofit found 70% of birth centers in the U.S. are located within just 10 states.
In 2022 alone, more than 150,000 babies were born to people living in maternity care deserts. An additional 200,000 were born to people living in counties with limited maternity care access.
The March of Dimes found six states in particular had the highest percentage of maternity care deserts: North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, and Arkansas. However, the areas with the most need for maternity care are concentrated in the southern part of the U.S.
The new report also said the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 is impacting how and where OB/GYNs train and treat patients. The March of Dimes said states where abortion is now prohibited had fewer OB/GYNs for every 10,000 births compared to states where abortion rights were upheld.
Read the full March of Dimes’ report here.
