Alabama Earns Failing Grade For Maternal And Infant Healthcare

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Alabama continues to rank at or near the bottom in the country when it comes to prenatal and infant healthcare, and a recent March of Dines study confirms that the state is still lacking severely in that department.

The 2019 March of Dimes Report Card reveals Alabama earned an “F” for its preterm birth rate, one key indicator of maternal and infant health. Beyond preterm birth, the report card includes a new focus on maternal health and highlights solutions and policy actions that can make a difference.

This year’s report card provides a more comprehensive view of the health of moms and babies—as their health is deeply intertwined—across the country, for major cities, each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. overall.

The preterm birth rates increased in Alabama to 12.5 percent. This compares to a rate of 12 percent from the previous year. Overall, preterm birth rates in the U.S. increased for the fourth year in a row, earning it a “C” grade, with Alabama ranking as the third worst state in the country.

The new features of this year’s report card include more fine-grained distinctions with a plus or minus grade for preterm birth, select social determinants of health to highlight the inequalities that negatively affect moms and babies and the estimated average cost of preterm birth. The Report Card also includes an added focus on maternal health as it relates to prematurity by highlighting solutions and policy actions that can make an impact.

In Alabama, March of Dimes recommends the following:

• Expanding programs with proven success in improving birth outcomes, like group prenatal care. March of Dimes has expanded Supportive Pregnancy Care, its flexible group prenatal care program, to the Simon Williamson Clinic to serve western and central Alabama so that more families can get the best possible start.
• Fully funding the Maternal Mortality Review Committee at the state level, a committee in which March of Dimes Alabama participates with other thought leaders to understand and address the causes of maternal death.
• Addressing chronic inequities and unequal access to quality health care which contribute to higher rates of maternal and infant health complications, including addressing the limited access to obstetric care in rural communities across Alabama
• Ensuring that women have access to public health insurance programs throughout their life course, specifically before, during and after pregnancy.
• Supporting the statewide efforts of the Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative

"The health of moms and babies in Alabama must be a priority issue for all of us. By working together, as individuals and across the public and private sectors, we can make significant changes that can give every mom the care she deserves and every baby the best possible start," said Britta Cedergren, March of Dimes Director, Maternal Child Health & Government Affairs for Alabama.