Maternal Health Awareness Day is January 23

Did you know that the United States is the only developed country in the world with a rising maternal mortality rate? Despite advances in medicine, maternal health remains a serious issue in the United States. Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.

Racial inequalities are extremely prevalent regarding maternal mortality; black mothers die during and after pregnancy at a rate three times higher than white patients, and American Indian and Alaska Native mothers die at a rate two times higher than white patients (via CDC.gov).

On January 23, Walk In Sunshine recognizes Maternal Health Awareness Day in an effort to increase awareness about the urgency of the country’s maternal mortality criss and how we can help women from all socioeconomic levels access proper healthcare before, during, and after pregnancy.

Over 60% of maternal deaths are preventable. Many factors play a role, including access to care, missed or delayed diagnoses, and not recognizing warning signs. Improving maternal health involves a combination of work from physicians, mothers themselves and their families, and policy makers.

The issue of maternal health has been a focal point of First Lady Tammy Murphy since the inception of the Murphy Administration in 2018. In 2021, she introduced the Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Plan, a strategy to reduce New Jersey’s high rates of maternal and infant mortality and eliminate the racial disparities responsible for these deaths (via NJ.gov). This is the latest element in her Nurture NJ initiative, which has already made great progress towards making New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.

For additional resources and information, visit https://www.walkinsunshinecharity.org/