05/08/2018
Welcome to the first ever National Maternal Health Awareness Week!
Yesterday, thousands of families, community leaders, clinicians, birth workers, business owners, and others gathered in Washington, D.C. and in cities and towns across the country to advocate for American moms, babies, and birthing families.
Why?
Not only does the United States have the only rising maternal mortality rate in the world, but we're also facing several other issues:
• Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes compared to white women.
• 15-21% of pregnant women experience moderate to severe symptoms of depression or anxiety, and many do not get the support they need.
• The United States is the only high-income country in the world without mandated paid family leave policies.
• Severe shortages in maternity care providers results in lack of access to high quality care during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum for many moms and birthing families, especially in rural areas.
• In 2015, 1 in 10 babies was born too early or premature in this country.
Learn more about these issues here: http://www.marchformoms.org/the-issues
We want to hear from you:
What do YOU think are the most pressing maternal and newborn health issues in the United States right now, and what are you doing to address them?
We need your help to spread the word about this important movement by sharing memes like this one on your social media accounts. Tag March for Moms and use the hashtag .
