A US state that claims to be the most pro-life in the United States is also home to one of the highest mortality rates for pregnant women and babies, statistics show.
Arkansas, which bans abortions unless the mother’s life is in danger, has the third-highest infant mortality rate in the United States, with 7.7 babies dying for every 1,000 live births, compared with the national average of 5.6.
It also has the fourth-highest maternal mortality rate: around 38 per 100,000 mothers, compared with the national average of 23.
Experts blame the high mortality rates on stricter abortion laws, as well as an exodus of obstetricians and gynecologists, which has led to the closure of maternity clinics. Those that remain are severely understaffed, and there is widespread confusion among mothers about where they can receive prenatal care.
Furthermore, poor sex education and a lack of accessible contraception have led to higher than average rates of teenage pregnancy and pregnancy complications.
“If we’re truly telling the world that we’re pro-life, we need to back up our words with money and make sure these women are treated and have the care they need,” said Republican state Rep. Aaron Pilkington. The Washington Post.
Sa-Ryiah Lincoln, a 15-year-old first-time mother living in a rural county in Arkansas, has had to deal with the complicated landscape of giving birth in the state. Her hometown of Warren has an estimated population of 5,227.
When the teen began spending more time with a boy, her mother, Ronica Lawson, tried to find a doctor in the area who could offer her birth control — specifically, long-term birth control like an IUD or arm implant.
She couldn’t find anyone and months later, Sa’Ryiah discovered she was pregnant.
Several months into her pregnancy, when Sa’Ryiah saw blood on her underwear, she called an ambulance. As they headed to a nearby hospital, they learned that the hospital was no longer offering labor and delivery services.
This is not an anomaly in the state.
Sixty-four percent of hospitals in rural Arkansas do not offer labor and delivery services, study finds July 2024 Report.
Over the past four years, the number of hospitals providing labor and delivery services in the state has dropped to 35, The Post reported.
Sa’Ryiah had to travel 30 minutes to receive care, but she and the baby were fine.
The rest of her pregnancy check-ups had to be done at a clinic 30 minutes from her home called Mainline.
Mainline has seen a sharp increase in patients as more and more rural hospitals in the area close.
An obstetrician at the clinic had delivered more than one baby a day in February.
Obstetrician Dr. Kara Worley, who has worked at several clinics in the state that have since closed, said the situation since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v Wade and eliminated federal abortion protections, has been chaotic.
“From my perspective, (lawmakers) have done nothing except make patient care more difficult,” Dr. Worley told The Post.
Because of staff shortages, the bureaucracy of abortion laws and limited resources, she had to forgo treating patients until they were actively ill, she added.
Despite the barriers Sa-Ryiah faced, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Kaydence this year.
Arkansas ranked fourth in the country for maternal mortality, with 38.3 new mothers dying per 100,000 births. This data is based on CDC reports from 2018 to 2022.
Recognizing the problems with maternal health care, state lawmakers have begun trying to address the situation.
They plan to expand a program at the University of Arkansas that trains and certifies midwives and have expanded Medicaid to cover contraceptive implants for new mothers.
Rep. Pilkington sponsored two bills that provide depression screening for mothers to be covered by Medicaid.
Pilkington told the Arkansas Defender It could help Arkansas go from being one of the worst states to have children to one of the best states to have children.
Additionally, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders just announced a new initiative to address maternal health, including educating women about programs they may be eligible for before and after childbirth.
“The solution is not more government programs. The solution is getting women to take advantage of the programs we already have,” said Governor Sanders.
But critics say more government help is needed.
Governor Sanders’ plan did not include expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days after pregnancy to one year. Every state except Arkansas has sought this expansion. As reported by NPR.
The state also does not require sex education in public schools.
When a school chooses to implement a program, the state pressures it to include abstinence-first education, The Post reported. Sexual health experts in Columbia They say this tactic fails to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Teen pregnancy rates in Arkansas are twice as high as the national average.
In Arkansas, teen pregnancy rates are nearly double the national average. Premature births also account for 11.8 percent of all births, higher than the national average of 10.4 percent.
Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered a speech during the second day of the Republican National Convention
A report for 2024 Therefore, the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families concluded: “Teens here are no more sexually active than in other states.
“The difference is access to contraceptives, especially the most effective ones, and the lack of information because sexual education is not required here.”
Locals like Hajime White, a doula with a degree in early childhood education who started Precious Jewels, a nonprofit group to mentor new mothers, questioned what government resources Gov. Sanders was referring to in her recent maternal health care initiative.
“He said there are resources. Where are the resources?” Ms. White asked.
Ms. White said she has had a hard time finding stable suppliers of things like diapers, car seats and food for her nonprofit.
She has been passed over several times for state grants to fund her work, which has helped new mothers like young Sa’Ryiah deliver their babies safely.
She has raised six daughters in Arkansas and works two full-time jobs to fund her work at Precious Jewels.
And while it struggles to find funding, faith-based pregnancy counseling centers appear to have plenty of funds to operate, White told the Post.
Since Arkansas’s abortion ban went into effect, the state has donated $2 million to these religious centers and another $2 million has been approved for the next fiscal year.