Opinion: Many immigrants are ineligible for important U.S. maternal health initiatives
Without state and federal action, immigrants will face unequal access to U.S. maternal health programs.
In the U.S., about 16% of Black birthing people are immigrants. But even as the federal government and states take steps to improve national maternal health, particularly among Black birthing parents, many immigrant parents are left out of new policy initiatives to provide access to postpartum care.
Worsening maternal health in the U.S. and stark racial disparities have set in motion new policy efforts to increase access to postpartum care during the year following childbirth. The U.S. has a much higher maternal mortality rate than most other high-income countries, and rates of maternal mortality are 2-3 times higher for Black birthing parents relative to white parents. Most pregnancy-related deaths occur in the first year after childbirth, and most are preventable with appropriate medical treatment.
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