{"id":7327,"date":"2025-11-17T15:39:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T21:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/17\/missouri-still-among-worst-states-for-infant-maternal-health-as-new-medicaid-cuts-loom-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T15:39:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T21:39:50","slug":"missouri-still-among-worst-states-for-infant-maternal-health-as-new-medicaid-cuts-loom-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/17\/missouri-still-among-worst-states-for-infant-maternal-health-as-new-medicaid-cuts-loom-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Missouri still among worst states for infant, maternal health as new Medicaid cuts loom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-1210311035-scaled-1-1024x684.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The annual Missouri \u201creport card\u201d published by the March of Dimes shows Missouri in the bottom half of the country for infant and maternal health outcomes (Getty Images).<\/p>\n<p><span>Missouri babies and mothers continue to die at higher rates than the national average, a new March of Dimes report found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now, despite some statewide efforts to improve health outcomes, the threat of federal health care funding cuts could worsen the problem, health care professionals say.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The annual Missouri <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/peristats\/reports\/missouri\/report-card\" target=\"_blank\"><span>\u201creport card\u201d <\/span><\/a><span>published Monday by the March of Dimes again lands the state squarely in the bottom half of the country for rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality, preterm births and severe maternal morbidity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis is not the time to let our foot off the gas,\u201d said Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer with March of Dimes. \u201cWe are among the most dangerous high income countries in the world for giving birth, and so we really need to be doubling down on our efforts to make sure that everybody has access to care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That\u2019s why Warren is keeping a close eye on President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill Act,\u201d which cleared Congress earlier this year and could have dramatic implications for families by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsfromthestates.com\/article\/cuts-medicaid-and-food-aid-will-have-biggest-impact-women-and-children-experts-say\" target=\"_blank\"><span>reducing the funding going to state Medicaid programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIn places like Missouri, where almost 40% of your births are covered by Medicaid, that really has the potential to make maternal illness and health outcomes worse,\u201d he told The Independent Monday. \u201cIt has the potential to increase <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2025\/06\/17\/expensive-and-complicated-most-rural-hospitals-no-longer-deliver-babies\/\"><span>closures of rural hospitals <\/span><\/a><span>and places where moms can get access to prenatal care.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While infant mortality rates decreased slightly from 2022 to 2023, maternal mortality rates worsened, according to the nonprofit focused on infant and maternal health outcomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Missouri again earned a \u201cD\u201d for its preterm birth rate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In 2024, more than 7,400 \u2014\u00a0or 11% \u2014 of babies born in Missouri were preterm, before 37 weeks gestation. This is the same rate as the year prior, and lands Missouri at 37th worst state in the country for prematurity rates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cOne of the things that really jumps out to me is a high rate of chronic diseases among women even before they become pregnant,\u201d Warren said, adding that chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking increase the risk of preterm birth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Warren noted that while Missouri has remained stuck at a D grade for premature births, the U.S. overall remains at a D+.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis is a call to action for us,\u201d Warren said. \u201cThe United States is among the most dangerous high income countries in the world for giving birth, and these numbers help explain why.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the state\u2019s infant mortality rate improved slightly from 2022 to the latest 2023 data, 441 babies still died before they turned 1 year old in Missouri in 2023. Missouri ranks 33rd in the nation for infant deaths, with infant mortality rates for children born to Pacific Islander mothers 2.5 times the state average between 2021 and 2023, the most recent years analyzed.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RrmWmVnyep\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/briefs\/missouri-aid-for-moms-and-babies-to-continue-as-other-food-assistance-ends-during-shutdown\/\">Missouri aid for moms and babies to continue as other food assistance ends during shutdown<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>The leading causes of death for infants in Missouri between 2021 and 2023 were birth defects, preterm birth, sudden unexpected infant death and accidents, according to the report.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAll of those lost babies are so much more impactful than people realize, because it is the loss of these parents\u2019 future,\u201d said Denise C\u00f4t\u00e9-Arsenault, a professor of maternal child nursing at Saint Louis University.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>C\u00f4t\u00e9-Arsenault, a nurse whose research focuses on bereaved parents, also noted the lack of mental health support for new mothers in Missouri in the report.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Missouri does not require clinicians to screen women insured by Medicaid for postpartum depression during their child\u2019s pediatric visits. Missouri Medicaid also doesn\u2019t reimburse for this screening, as is recommended by the March of Dimes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In 2024, 38% of births were covered by Medicaid.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A year prior, Missouri expanded Medicaid coverage through the first year postpartum. Warren applauded this decision, but said the state should go one step further by expanding medicaid coverage to include maternal mental health screenings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Mental health conditions accounted for one-third of recent pregnancy-associated deaths in Missouri, according to the most recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mopqc.org\/news\/finding-answers-saving-lives-highlights-from-missouris-2025-pamr-annual-report\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span>maternal mortality report <\/span><\/a><span>published over the summer by the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services. This includes substance use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Warren said this review board, as well as a new Missouri law that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2024\/09\/30\/mo-healthnet-medicaid-doula-maternal-mortality\/\"><span>allows doulas to be reimbursed through Medicaid, <\/span><\/a><span>are among the improvements Missouri has made in recent years that he hopes will begin yielding better outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Mothers and babies of color and mothers insured by Medicaid continue to make up an outsized portion of the data, complicated by factors like poverty, racism and violence, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cUnless we have constant support and changing social situations, we\u2019re not going to make much headway overall,\u201d C\u00f4t\u00e9-Arsenault said. \u201c \u2026These folks need more health care, not less.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In addition to the cuts to Medicaid, she is also watching other policy changes that impact low-income families, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stlpr.org\/education\/2025-10-30\/missouri-head-start-programs-may-close-their-doors-if-federal-government-shutdown-grinds-on\" target=\"_blank\"><span>threats to local Head Start programs <\/span><\/a><span>and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2025\/05\/07\/republican-filibuster-blocks-missouri-bill-expanding-access-to-child-care\/\"><span>efforts to improve access to affordable child care.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>The March of Dimes report also recommends Missouri require paid parental leave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But C\u00f4t\u00e9-Arsenault, who has spent nearly 50 years working with mothers and babies, said increasing support for community health, creating more public health programs for mothers and babies (including postpartum home visits) and increased specialized educational support for nurses could make a difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s going to take a concerted effort on a local and federal level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cA lot of people are looking for an easy fix,\u201d C\u00f4t\u00e9-Arsenault said. \u201cAnd there isn\u2019t one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The annual Missouri \u201creport card\u201d published by the March of Dimes shows Missouri in the bottom half of the country for infant and maternal health outcomes (Getty Images). Missouri babies and mothers continue to die at higher rates than the national average, a new March of Dimes report found.\u00a0 Now, despite some statewide efforts to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Missouri still among worst states for infant, maternal health as new Medicaid cuts loom - WestplexNews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/17\/missouri-still-among-worst-states-for-infant-maternal-health-as-new-medicaid-cuts-loom-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Missouri still among worst states for infant, maternal health as new Medicaid cuts loom - WestplexNews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The annual Missouri \u201creport card\u201d published by the March of Dimes shows Missouri in the bottom half of the country for infant and maternal health outcomes (Getty Images). 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