maternal health
Air pollution impacting maternal, infant health of Ohioans
Improving air quality in the state would lead to better health for Ohioans, and could be done through policy changes, according to a policy think tank. In a recent examination of the connections between air pollution and health, the Health Policy Institute focused on maternal and infant health, lung and heart conditions and cognitive conditions, […]
Legislative effort to support pregnancy doulas has bipartisan support
Maternal and infant health advocates and certified doulas alike expressed their support Monday for a bill currently awaiting consideration by the Ohio Senate to bring doula services into the state’s Medicaid program. Participants in a meeting of the Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus met with organizations employing and promoting the use of doulas as part of […]
Severe pregnancy complications are affecting Black women in Ohio the most
Urban centers are seeing the highest rates of pregnancy complications for Ohio women, followed by Appalachia, with Black women being impacted the most, a new report says, pointing to systemic racism, a lack of health care access, and poor community conditions. Not only are there disparities in general maternal health, but also in maternal morbidity: […]
Should Ohio candidates be able to use campaign funds on child care costs?
If Ohio wants a more diverse set of political candidates, state Sen. Tina Maharath believes the campaign rules should be more favorable to busy parents. Maharath, a Columbus Democrat, proposes the way to do that is to allow candidates to use donations to pay for child care costs while they are on the campaign trail. […]
Heartbreaking stories of Black maternal deaths, pregnancy complications, racism related at hearing
WASHINGTON — When U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri was pregnant with her first child, Zion, she saw a sign in her doctor’s office encouraging her to speak up about anything unusual she was feeling. She did so, telling her physician that she was having severe pains, but her concerns were swiftly dismissed. The doctor […]
‘It’s not fine.’ Black mothers and babies are dying in Ohio.
WASHINGTON — Black mothers and babies are dying at staggering rates in Ohio and around the country. The national statistics are alarming: black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Indian women are also more than […]
Ohio Black Maternal Health Caucus sets 2020 goals for reproductive rights, health
Just weeks after the birth of her twin daughters in 2004, state Rep. Erica Crawley, D-Columbus, went to an emergency room with severe abdominal pain. At the time, she was breastfeeding her girls, and was still recovering from the trauma of their emergency C-section. She sat in the waiting room for hours in pain. She […]