Maternal Health

'The next two years will be a sea change among low-income New Yorkers, who will find a dramatic change for nutrition assistance and health care,' said Jack Newton of Legal Services New York.

The global nonprofit organization redistributes medical equipment and supplies to clinics serving vulnerable people. It's finding a growing need for its work in the U.S.

The British Consul General to the Southeast U.S., based in Atlanta, shares a story from her global health work in the Balkans, where a program to install doors on toilets in schools grew into other projects that became a lifeline for women.

An Emory University researcher gave birth in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. The experience moved her to focus on addressing disparities in maternal health, especially in emergency preparedness.

In the study, the link between Covid and developmental delays was strongest when infection occurred late in pregnancy, during the third trimester. That’s also when the fetal brain is growing most rapidly.

Research has not deeply examined Tylenol risks in young children, and many rigorous studies refute a link between vaccines and autism.

Georgia has some of the worst pregnancy outcomes in the United States, but community health organizations are working to change that.

Congenital syphilis, which passes from a pregnant person to a baby, is treatable if caught early, but without care can lead to infant deaths or birth defects.

Artificial intelligence can help with tasks like managing immunization programs to prevent waste and shortages and can help interpret mammograms and other tests, freeing up public health workers to focus on activities that require human interaction.

Doula coverage across New York City increased 25% from 2022 to 2024, and underserved neighborhoods saw investments in care.

Research shows that women who spend time in nature have healthier pregnancies. It's especially vital for Black women, who have a higher maternal mortality rate.

Sylvester Pierce is challenging gender norms in the birth support field while fighting to improve outcomes for Black families.

Saving Mothers, founded by an NYU gynecologist, is among those working to ease a maternal mortality crisis in the city, where deaths per 100,000 live births reached 19 last year.

Pregnant women who contracted Covid-19 were more likely to become severely ill and to be hospitalized than non-pregnant women of the same age and demographics.

Last year, the NYC Health Department identified an alarming trend: Overdose is the city’s leading driver of pregnancy-associated death.

The rate of such deaths has been stagnant for years, and clinicians and advocates say reducing mortality requires not only public education, but also addressing systemic issues like poverty and overcrowded housing.

In the state, Black women are at least three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes. The county's initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities work but depend on federal dollars — money that might not flow amid budget cuts and a push to end DEI programs.

Here are the decisions Georgia lawmakers made on public health bills ahead of a crucial legislative deadline.

Prior members were dismissed proceeding reports obtained detailing the “preventable” deaths of two women who were unable to obtain legal abortions or timely care after Georgia banned abortion.

Demand for the services has increased since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but funding remains a concern. And while every birth story is different, there is a common theme for many: inequities.