The Dangers Of Having A Baby In Rural America
The Wall Street Journal reports on how time and distance from hospitals that handle obstetric emergencies can be fatal.
The Wall Street Journal:
Rural America’s Childbirth Crisis: The Fight to Save Whitney Brown
Since the start of the century, it has become more dangerous to have a baby in rural America. Pregnancy-related complications are rising across the U.S., and many require specialized care. For some women, the time and distance from hospitals with the resources and specialists to handle an obstetric emergency can be fatal. The rate at which women died of pregnancy-related complications was 64% higher in rural areas than in large U.S. cities in 2015. That is a switch from 2000, when the rate in the cities was higher, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal. (McKay and Overberg, 8/11)