Southern state claims to be ‘most pro-life’ in US, but has highest maternal and infant mortality rates

Statistics show that the US state that claims to be the most pro-life is also the state with one of the highest death rates among pregnant women and babies.

Arkansas, where abortion is illegal unless the mother’s life is in danger, has the third-highest infant mortality rate in the U.S., with 7.7 babies dying per 1,000 live births, compared to the U.S. national average of 5.6.

It also has the fourth highest maternal mortality rate: about 38 per 100,000 mothers, compared to the national average of 23.

Experts attribute the high death rates to stricter abortion laws and an exodus of gynecologists, which has forced birth clinics to close. Those that remain are severely understaffed and there is widespread confusion among mothers about where to get prenatal care.

In addition, poor sex education and the lack of accessible contraception mean that teenage pregnancies and pregnancy complications are higher than average.

“If we really want to say to the world that we are pro-life, we need to put our words into action and make sure these women get the treatment and the care that they need,” Rep. Aaron Pilkington, a Republican, told The Washington Post.

Sa-Ryiah Lincoln, a 15-year-old new mother living in a rural Arkansas county, has navigated the complicated landscape of childbirth in the state. Her hometown of Warren has an estimated population of 5,227.

When the teen started spending more time with a boy, her mother, Ronica Lawson, tried to find a doctor nearby who could prescribe her birth control, specifically a long-term contraceptive such as an IUD or an implant in her arm.

She couldn’t find anyone and months later Sa’Ryiah discovered she was pregnant.

A few months into her pregnancy, when Sa’Ryiah noticed blood in her underwear, she called an ambulance. On the way to a nearby hospital, they discovered that the hospital no longer had labor and delivery services.

This is not an exception in the state.

According to a report from the National Health Service, 64 percent of hospitals in rural areas of Arkansas do not offer labor and delivery services. Report July 2024.

Over the past four years, the number of hospitals in the state where deliveries take place has dropped to 35, The Post reports.

So Sa’Ryiah had to travel 30 minutes to get help, but she and the baby were doing fine.

The rest of her pregnancy check-ups had to take place at a clinic 30 minutes from her home called Mainline.

Mainline saw a sharp increase in patient numbers as more rural hospitals in the region closed their doors.

One gynecologist at the clinic delivered more than one baby per day in February.

Midwife Kara Worley, who has worked at several clinics in the state that have since closed, said the situation has been chaotic since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped federal protections for abortions.

“From my perspective, legislators have done nothing but make patient care more difficult,” Dr. Worley told The Post.

She added that due to staff shortages, bureaucracy over abortion laws and limited resources, she had to wait to treat patients until they were actually sick.

Despite the obstacles Sa-Ryiah faced, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Kaydence this year.

State lawmakers recognize the problems with maternal health care and have begun to address the situation.

They plan to expand a program at the University of Arkansas that trains and certifies midwives, and they have expanded Medicaid to cover birth control implants for new mothers.

Rep. Pilkington has introduced two bills that would allow Medicaid-eligible mothers to be screened for depression.

Pilkington told the Arkansas Attorney It could “help Arkansas go from one of the worst states to have children to one of the best states to have children.”

In addition, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders just announced a new initiative to address maternal health, which includes educating women about the programs they can access before and after birth.

“The solution is not more government programs. The solution is to give women the benefit of the programs we already have,” Governor Sanders said.

But critics say more government support is needed.

Governor Sanders’ plan did not include expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days after pregnancy to one year. Every state except Arkansas has pursued this expansion, That was reported by NPR.

The state also does not require sex education in public schools.

According to The Post, a school that decides to implement a program is being pressured by the state to provide an abstinence-first education. Sexual health experts at Columbia say that this tactic fails to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Arkansas’s teenage pregnancy rate is twice the national average.

A report from 2024 The Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families therefore concluded: ‘Teens here are no more sexually active than in other states.

‘The difference is access to contraceptives, especially the most effective types, and the lack of information, because sex education is not mandatory here.’

Locals like Hajime White, a doula with a degree in early childhood education who founded Precious Jewels, a nonprofit organization that supports new mothers, wondered what government resources Governor Sanders was referring to with her recent maternal health initiative.

“She said there are resources. Where are the resources?” said Mrs. White.

Ms. White said she struggles to find regular suppliers for things like diapers, car seats and food for her nonprofit.

She has been passed over several times for government grants for her work helping new mothers like young Sa’Ryiah come into the world safely.

She raised her six daughters herself in Arkansas and works two full-time jobs to support her work at Precious Jewels.

While she struggles to find funding, religious pregnancy counseling centers appear to have enough financial resources to survive, Ms. White told the Post.

Since Arkansas’ abortion ban went into effect, the state has donated $2 million to these religious centers, and another $2 million has been approved for the upcoming budget year.