Inside the fight to slash the maternal mortality rate in the South | 60 Minutes

The South holds the sad distinction of having some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Sharyn Alfonsi spoke to some of the women trying to improve maternal health care.
#60minutes #news #health
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[@SALESPRODUCTIONS]

The poorer - more rural - and the "redder" the state - the more likely a person is to DIE from lack of healthcare. And it doesn't matter the sex or condition.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Have done OB, nursery care most of my life til got fed up with tx. C sections were done for doctor convenience 31% of the time, Poor or nonenglish speakers were slow walked so often delivered by nurses. Thank goodness most of the nurses there were foreign trained midwives working only under RN license. Staffing was so that teaching new moms was nearly impossible as hospital thought OB was a "fun and easy" department. Moms were getting fired at 28 wks with alarming regularity, which meant they were too far pregnant to be accepted in another practice and the largest clinic system refused them on Medicaid, would only see them if paid a package fee upfront. Without the medical safety net they had to rely on emergency rooms to deal with problems. ER MD sensitivity to OB issues varies widely. Now am in a town in IL where mayor has crazy notion about a woman's place being in the ground. There are no OB services in hospital in this COUNTY so he wants ordinance against abortion which would be enforced through police in a manner he can't describe in a state that protects the right to abortion despite ACLU counseling him this opens town to huge legal challenges/costs. Meanwhile, I just met a very young checker at grocery pregnant for time, with twins and I can't protect them. I worked too long, too hard to accept where all this is going. I am old enough not to be nice to fools.

[@jennifers5560]

I don’t know why any woman would vote for any republican. Their policies are causing this.

[@newman4664]

You’re probably referring to states with anti abortion zealots that can be compared against the full term abortion zealots? No self respecting sane human is going to agree to that irrespective of politics. It’s the fools on both sides causing needless grief. The Australian laws find sensible middle ground, check them out.

[@msunje9862]

@@newman4664both side are causing grief but red states often cause women grief. They are male dream land

[@BeranM]

@@newman4664 Breeders gonna breed.

[@sharonusa4763]

We're becoming a 3rd world country, shameful.

[@rafangille]

the red states are, higher gun violence, maternity mortality rate, worse health outcomes and life expectancy.

[@catherinewilliams9680]

Every single state south of the mason dixon line could lower the mortality rates of their babies and women if they just expanded medicaid. But it's not just the south. It's Idaho, West Virginia and New Mexico all have appallingly high mortality rates of babies and their mothers.

[@meahdahlgren5875]

Right ❤

[@PriscillaLange]

VA is south of the Mason Dixon line. It’s the south.

[@ashleywilliamson8855]

New Mexico is as south as any other state.

[@janr4143]

Our Politics CANNOT be about our bodies

[@angelikalindenau943]

How embarrassing for the richest country on Earth!

[@markfornefeld299]

You know why this is the case is because women in America Don’t have maternity leave policies by law

[@pinwheelart2825]

We already have the evidence to show what works and that is out of hospital care aka midwifery care with continuity of care to hospital when needed. As well as the fact that doctors could actually save lives if they simply LISTEN TO WOMEN!

[@pinwheelart2825]

And of course they never cover this

[@jacob6908]

We cant even define a woman in this country

[@amandafuriasse4683]

Amen, in any other country midwives deliver babies, the US is the only country without midwifery, moreover the UN found expanding midwifery in the case of Africa was the only thing that brought down maternal mortality

[@floridaviolets9601]

@@jacob6908 why must it be defined?

[@margaretsheets4594]

It's always so interesting to me how people (especially male politicians) who claim to be oh so "pro-life" are only pro-life until you're born. Once you're born, especially if you're born a person of color who can get pregnant, it just seems like politicians seem to feel that your life and rights are worth less protection than the "life" and "rights" of fetuses. Also, guess who can rest assured they will always have access to abortions and/or high quality maternal healthcare-the wives, mistresses and female relatives of self professed "pro-life" Republican politicians.

[@6ixConfessions]

And let us not forget that the men who are so against a woman's right to choose are also able to rest peacefully knowing that their lives will never, under any circumstances be at risk because of complications dues to pregnancy. It's the women who risk everything to bring new life into this world while so many men completely ignore that fact.

[@ElChapitoh]

Maybe medical schools should diversify their admittance process, these current students are reluctant to go into communities at risk and choose to chase a paycheck after their residencies.

[@yesimemoin0935]

Medical schools need to add 30% more seats. We don't license enough doctors to care for our current population.

[@amandafuriasse4683]

in most other countries, midwives deliver babies, so its not a problem of lack of doctors

[@zeldasmith6154]

Death is another way to control women, especially poor women.

[@KelaineBeau]

Politics and capitalism (and many other ism’s) are what is negatively impacting our current health care system.

[@snjspring]

Lol the midwife knows best. The Dr was probably honest - not liking the info doesn't make them wrong.

[@kyost608]

I pray for everyone in Jesus's name praise Jesus amen

[@nultari1]

They say “we reached out to” when they really mean “we got in touch with”

[@Madamegato]

Uh... yes. That is what that means and has always meant... not sure why you're commenting this as though they're trying to hide something from you?

[@nultari1]

@@Madamegato it’s just something people say incorrectly

[@myoldvhstapes]

The doctor said that women don't have access to care for their high blood pressure and diabetes- So obesity plays a role here, too. The southern states are the most obese.

[@Bibirallie]

Lol it’s not obesity. There is such a thing as gestational diabetes, which only occurs during pregnancy.

[@dorawilliams4628]

Hidden racism

[@falafelscobes6122]

People have no go about them anymore. Natural selection should take its course… 😅

[@darkchild3565]

What about the men/fathers

[@asaseya1819]

The don't have a human coming out of any of their orifices.

[@Madamegato]

I'd say if you're that worried about the men, start an education for them about the importance of birth control. Put on a condom. Advocate for the male pill. And above all, if you're concerned, educate them on the importance of talking to a potential sexual partner FIRST about what you'll do if that partner becomes pregnant. If she says she doesn't want to have kids, then boom, don't have sex with her. Easy, right? Men can take some responsibility, too.

[@chezzachezza7325]

@@Madamegato when have men been accountable for making babies they don’t care

[@blk1735]

I wonder if the high rate of obesity is making things worse??

[@Red_Rover]

Could we blame it on change too?

[@lizab8400]

Abortion and what happened to Joshua had no link....i am so outraged that 60 minutes is insinuating that when there was NO evidence of that....but their was evidence of bad care

[@ankra12]

Have your tubes tied before moving.

[@floridaviolets9601]

That's not a 100% guarantee u won't get pregnant.

[@jcleveland9056]

Why is the most important thing being taught not safe sex, not having children out of wedlock, and not having children when you can't afford them?

[@ChicasAngels721]

Three of the women interviewed were MARRIED though

[@jcleveland9056]

@@ChicasAngels721 3 out of how many? And if you are married, there really shouldn't be an issue with not being able to pay the bills and take care of responsibilities? Is it just poor black women who are having such high rates of infant mortality, or is it all poor women? If it's just black women, what's the root cause, and how do we correct it?

[@teamcougars]

I know a woman who got pregnant getting the shot, aside from tubal ligation she was going above and beyond what 99.9 percent to avoid getting pregnant I got pregnant on the pill back in 190, unbeknownst to me when I got sick and was put on antibiotics no one, the doctor nor pharmacy told me to use a back up birth control method and Lo and behold we have a 32 year old son we were already engaged at that point so we just moved up the wedding date in part to get his insurance which I didn’t have at the time of conception I was relying on PP and their sliding scale to afford my birth control pills 😢 I don’t understand why we don’t have a NHS in this country at this point it’s barbaric and ridiculous that we don’t, I worry about our up and coming moms and dads, there’s no fool proof birth control method for even married couples wanting to wait for a while before starting a family m oldest daughter and son in law are waiting as they are traveling all over before they start having children they are using 2 different methods combined to avoid pregnancy right now and have been for 6 years at this point.

[@Ghanashyama]

@@jcleveland9056 I support the traditional family and values but I have no idea what any of that has to do with women and children DYING because of lack of medical care and support. Your argument that being married means there shouldn't be an issue with paying the bills is entirely incorrect. You seem to be out of touch with the cost of medical care and living expenses in the United States today.

[@twolegs6045]

At least this didn't take the easy way out and play the race card. Insightful! 👍🏾

[@evileyez504]

What are you even talking about

[@twolegs6045]

@Jacques Guerrier, true. But in a bigger sense this news story told of more and other factors to the statistics than JUST race. Obviously, race plays a part in everything. When they brought the black lady on there....I thought, "here we go". But they took the story further and showed how abortion laws are negatively impacting the state. Great story and great reporting! The race card would have been the lazy way out and the general public would have celebrated that conclusion. They could have gotten hundreds of black women to come on there to testify how race and poverty are killing them. Blah blah blah. But they showed the doctors perspective which took courage and a higher emotional IQ. 👍🏾💯

[@jp6846]

@@twolegs6045​How is talking about race taking the lazy way out when it’s been acknowledged that racial disparities are GROSSLY underreported? It sound like you just don’t want to hear about how black and brown women are struggling. “Blah blah blah?” People are dying. There is no blah.

[@twolegs6045]

@@jp6846, idk were u get "grossly underreported" from? Every day on the news there's another story about racial disparities! Every Hollywood movie now has to feature a racial plot line and minority hero's! The little Mermaid is coming back out with minority lead. TV shows routinely feature racial storylines that disparage white people as oppressors and exploiters of minorities. EVERY problem that minorities have is blamed directly and indirectly on white people. Yes, I'm sick of hearing about it. The blame game has gotten old. It's never a minorities fault for anything that happens negatively in their lives, culture, or society. But anything positive is them "overcoming". 🙄 💯

[@floridaviolets9601]

@@twolegs6045 so talking to black women is ignorant but talking to white doctors is insightful?