Dr. Kara Odom Walker is the executive vice president and chief population health officer for Nemours Children’s Health. Stacey Y. Brayboy is the senior vice president for public policy and government affairs for the March of Dimes.
Pregnancy can bring about a mix of emotions, from being a joyous, celebratory occasion to one fraught with stress, sadness and anxiety. If complications are involved, the uncertainty can add to a mom’s worries. And, after delivery, the postpartum period can be a time of further anxiousness, fatigue or even depression.
It’s time that more is done to help mothers better manage their physical and mental health during and after pregnancy. Building upon the goals and progress of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released the Task Force for Maternal Mental Health’s National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care, outlining recommendations for a whole-of-government approach to improve maternal mental health outcomes. The national strategy and the task force’s report to Congress shed light on the barriers related to delivering the care necessary to address maternal mental health conditions.
Substance use disorders and mental health conditions during pregnancy are the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States, accounting for more than 22% of them. These conditions are the most common pregnancy-related complications, affecting an estimated 1 in 5 individuals annually. The societal costs of maternal mental health conditions are estimated at $14 billion a year when left unaddressed.
Often, comprehensive and consistent prenatal care can help pregnant individuals better manage their health. However, about 75% of women who experience maternal mental health conditions remain untreated for those conditions. Research has demonstrated the link between maternal perinatal depression and anxiety and long-term challenges for children and adolescents, impacting behavioral, social-emotional, cognitive and other developmental outcomes.
These complications must be addressed at the state and federal level. The 2023 March of Dimes Report Card reports that birthing people in Delaware have a high vulnerability to poor outcomes and are most vulnerable due to reproductive health care access, with 14.7% of moms receiving inadequate prenatal care.
In addition, the Delaware Maternal & Child Death Review Commission’s 2023 annual report found that 6 of the 10 cases reviewed had maternal mental health conditions as a contributing factor, with overdose being the leading cause of maternal death in 2023 for the fourth year in a row. This data raises serious concerns for policymakers.
Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, D-New Castle, introduced a Delaware “Momnibus” package, with six bills focused on improving outcomes, ranging from a Perinatal Quality Collaborative to establishing a subcommittee for cultural competency to extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum for uninsured mothers.
Screening and treatment services need to be accessible and available when and where moms need them most. As the Task Force for Maternal Mental Health’s report illustrates, though, the U.S. lacks the national infrastructure and workforce to properly address these needs.
As a state, and as a nation, we know that we can and should do more to improve maternal health outcomes.
July 24 marked the fifth annual Cindy Pellegrini Maternal & Child Health Advocacy Day, an opportunity for health care professionals and advocates to discuss with congressional offices the need for high-quality, holistic maternal and infant health care and social supports. Leaders from Nemours Children’s Health, the March of Dimes and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago came together to advocate for legislation to prevent prematurity and maternal mortality, and improve maternal mental health.
This legislation includes the Moms Matter Act (House Resolution 3312/Senate Bill 1602), a bill sponsored by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del. The bill would make investments in programs that expand access to high-quality maternal mental health and substance use disorder services, as well as programs that grow and diversify the maternal mental health workforce.
We also advocated for the Maintaining Our Obligation to Moms Who Serve Act (Senate Bill 3641/House Resolution 7087). Our nation’s military mothers experience mental health conditions at significantly higher rates than their civilian counterparts. This legislation would create a pilot program at military facilities to prevent maternal mental health conditions among pregnant and postpartum uniformed service members and beneficiaries.
We believe that the health of moms should be a top priority. These two bills are critical to improving maternal mental health outcomes across the U.S. We encourage Congress to advance them this year. Protecting the health of moms today is imperative so that their children will have a brighter future tomorrow.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
