Maternal Deaths in the U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/opinion/maternal-deaths-in-the-us.html

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To the Editor:

Re “American’s Shocking Maternal Deaths” (editorial, Sept. 4): The acknowledgment that the United States has a maternal health problem is a first step; what is needed is a commitment from us all to reverse these statistics.

The medical-legal, hospital and insurance barriers that are out of sync with women’s needs contribute to the United States’ high maternal mortality rate. The country has systemic barriers that put minority women in particular at risk. Additionally, low-income women are too often left to lower quality care or no prenatal care at all.

A midwifery model of care to manage the majority of births, which are low risk, will lead to better outcomes with a lower price tag. It is a proven system that produces healthier moms, babies and societies. Expanding Medicaid is critical, but so is the need to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for doulas, health workers, midwives and doctors.

We at Every Mother Counts are working to educate the public about these issues. Every mother deserves the highest standard of compassionate medical care to ensure safe outcomes for herself and her baby.

CHRISTY TURLINGTON BURNS

New York

The writer, the fashion model, is the founder of Every Mother Counts and the director and producer of the 2010 documentary film “No Woman, No Cry.”