Maternal Health

Doulas and birth centers are considered part of the solution to Missouri’s ‘unacceptable’ maternal mortality crisis. But current law makes it difficult to help mothers most in need.

In the majority of Missouri’s rising cases of congenital syphilis, mothers had little to no prenatal care, highlighting a larger issue of maternal health care access. Legislation introduced in the House and Senate aims to address the crisis.

Virtuously B’Earthed Doula Services, a St. Louis-area birthing agency, received nearly $90,000 to teach doula care this fall in Spanish, French, Somali and Arabic. The agency will provide translated manuals and training to bilingual women.

Jamaa Birth Village plans to open satellite midwifery birthing locations across Missouri next year. Patients can receive midwifery and doula care and social support services.

Infant mortality in Missouri went up 16% between 2021 and 2022, according to federal data released earlier this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Missouri was one of only four states that showed a significant rise.

Current Missouri law limits Medicaid postpartum care to 60 days. Under the new legislation, that coverage now lasts for a full year.

Vitendo4Africa is an African social organization in the St. Louis region providing dance therapy to African immigrant children weekly. Most of the children are either immigrants or the children of immigrants who struggle with depression and anxiety. Program director Faiza Muhambi says African children need dance to help improve their physical and mental health, which will benefit them educationally and socially.

Before leaving for spring break, Missouri House Republicans called the first part of this year’s session successful. How much gets done during the second half, however, depends on how well both chambers navigate divisive bills.

Missouri has a maternal mortality rate of 25.2 deaths per 100,000 live births, higher than the national average. Health professionals worry that the state’s near-total abortion ban will make pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period even more dangerous.

Under the legislation, those who receive benefits from Medicaid during pregnancy would be able to keep them for one full-year post birth. But the program can only begin after nearly 5,000 other people are kicked off Medicaid.