U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) and a colleague have called for an expanded maternal care workforce amid the release of a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) that cites an increase in U.S. maternal deaths.
“Maternal mortality rates were already much higher in the United States compared to our peers, and now we have proof that conditions have grown worse for American women. This is unacceptable,” according to a joint statement released on March 16 by Rep. Kim and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), co-chairs of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus.
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported that 1,205 people died of maternal causes in the U.S. in 2021, a 40 percent increase from the previous year and a nearly 60 percent increase since 2019.
“The data released by the National Center for Health Statistics is a stark reminder of what thousands of American families already know: too many moms are dying,” the lawmakers said. “We came together to lead the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus because the health of our moms should be above politics. Congress must act now to stop this crisis from getting worse and ensure that all moms can give birth safely.”
Rep. Kim and her colleague said that the Maternity Care Caucus will fight for an improved and expanded maternal care workforce, more inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in voluntary clinical trials, and greater scrutiny of the disparate impact of maternal mortality/morbidity on underrepresented populations, according to their statement.
“Congress must take this crisis seriously. Our moms and babies deserve nothing less than the best possible care,” they said. “The time for lip service is over. We need action.”