Worsening US Maternal Health Crisis

Reasons for the Worsening U.S. Maternal Health Crisis
Student's Name
College/University
Course
Professor's Name
Due Date
The United States (U.S.) leads in terms of maternal mortality rates compared to other peer nations. In 2020, the U.S. recorded 23.8 demises in every 100,000 live deliveries, with 861 demises attributed to maternal factors (Taylor et al., 2022). This is not the case for other wealthy countries, thus prompting the need to identify the reasons for such alarming statistics. The first reason is the rising shortage of maternal care professionals compared to the recorded birth rate. The maternity healthcare providers are significantly inadequate, and the supply of midwives is relatively lower compared to other wealthy countries (Tikkanen et al., 2020). The closure of obstetrical and gynecological care services as well as the shortage of gynecologists and obstetricians in underserved and rural communities is a significant problem in the U.S., which is not the case for other peer countries (Douthard et al., 2021).
Differences in maternal care following the delivery also contribute to the country's high maternal mortality rates. After delivery, U.S. mothers have limited access to home care visits, a service that is guaranteed in other high-income countries (Tikkanen et al., 2020). Home visits during and after delivery help postpartum and pregnant women care for themselves and their newborns, thus improving their health outcomes. Only three states offer postpartum home visits but do not offer prenatal home visits: Tennessee, Maryland, and Alabama (Gifford et al., 2017). This can explai...