Maternal care
There is no victory in an increase in Black infant mortality
The Alabama Department of Public Health recently released the infant mortality rate for 2022, lauding the fact that the overall rate improved from 7.6 deaths per 1000 births to 6.9. But the real story is that Black infants are now dying at an even higher rate than the year before, showing that better outcomes are solely […]
ADPH asks judge to reconsider ruling on birth center regulations
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) asked a Montgomery circuit court judge Thursday to reconsider a ruling preventing ADPH from withholding licensure for birth centers. Judge Greg Griffin’s order prevents ADPH from withholding licenses from birth centers — facilities that offer expectant mothers an option between home and hospital deliveries — that “demonstrate substantial […]
Montgomery judge says birth centers proved harm from proposed ADPH regulations
Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Greg Griffin wrote Wednesday that he blocked new Alabama Department of Public Health regulations on birth centers because birth center personnel had shown they could be harmed by the proposed rules. “The court holds that, while ADPH faces no harm, as discussed [in the opinion], plaintiffs have demonstrated through extensive testimony […]
Faith-based maternity homes ‘create a haven’ in states with strict abortion laws
At the end of a gravel road that runs through a wooded property in Chilton County, Alabama, a plain white two-story house sits overlooking a small pond. Outside the house, everything is tranquil: The swings on the new playground nearby are quiet, the pond is still, the rocking chairs lined up on the covered front […]
Congenital syphilis rates are soaring, but resources to stem infections are lacking
States are seeing an alarming surge in cases of congenital syphilis, a preventable infection that can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, newborn death — or lifelong complications such as blindness or deafness. Congenital syphilis, which occurs when a pregnant mother infected with the sexually transmitted infection syphilis passes it on to her fetus, disproportionately affects Black and […]