Current:Home > MarketsHow abortion ban has impacted Mississippi one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned-LoTradeCoin
How abortion ban has impacted Mississippi one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned
View Date:2024-12-24 00:16:54
Mississippi has the highest infant mortality rate in the country, and the maternal death rate is worsening, particularly for Black mothers, according to data from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Getty Israel, a public health expert, warned about this possibility last year as the state's only abortion clinic prepared to close.
In April, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law a series of bills that he says create a culture of life. The legislation included tax credits for adoption and an expansion of Medicaid coverage for up to one year postpartum.
But critics say the bills aren't keeping up with the challenges.
In the last year, the only NICU in the Delta closed, and at least three other labor and delivery units across the state have also shuttered.
"Obstetrics is a lot of times, you know, the first to go," said Dr. Rachel Morris.
That inspired her to launch a program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center called Stork, where emergency workers are trained to deliver babies.
"Depending on the nature of their emergency, they may not have the luxury of getting in a car and driving two and a half hours," Morris said of some of the pregnant people in the area. "It's gotta be so scary for these patients."
She said the program helps to address a specific need in the area, where rural emergency rooms may not have some supplies for delivery. In addition to training, the program provides participating facilities with Stork bags, which contain critical supplies.
Morris acknowledges there are still other issues of care to address in the region, but the program is "a way to bridge the gap to give people what they need."
"For me, that's why I went into medicine, was to make a difference," she said.
Morris said the program has trained 400 people and has a six-month waitlist.
- In:
- Mississippi
- Abortion
Caitlin Huey-Burns is a political correspondent for CBS News based in Washington, D.C.
TwitterveryGood! (74)
Related
- ‘Heretic’ and Hugh Grant debut with $11 million, but ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ tops box office again
- Pope presses theologians to be in tune with challenges of daily life and talk with non-believers
- Beijing’s crackdown fails to dim Hong Kong’s luster, as talent scheme lures mainland Chinese
- Wildfire fanned by Santa Ana winds forces thousands from their homes outside L.A.
- Louisiana House greenlights Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax cuts
- Robert De Niro lashes out in court at ex-personal assistant who sued him: 'Shame on you!'
- Arizona attorney general investigating county officials who refused to certify 2022 election
- Antisemitism policies at public city colleges in New York will be reviewed, the governor says
- Gerry Faust, former Notre Dame football coach, dies at 89
- Senegal electoral commission says main opposition leader Sonko should be given sponsorship forms
Ranking
- Charles Hanover: A Summary of the UK Stock Market in 2023
- Jana Kramer Claps Back at Rumors Her Pregnancy Is Fake
- US magistrate cites intentional evidence destruction in recommending default judgment in jail suit
- What are witch storms? Severe weather pattern could hit Midwest in November
- Knicks Player Ogugua Anunoby Nearly Crashes Into Anne Hathaway and Her Son During NBA Game
- ACLU of Virginia plans to spend over $1M on abortion rights messaging
- House Republican seeks to change motion-to-vacate rule that brought down McCarthy
- Lucy Hale Shares Her Tips on Self-LOVE: “It’s Really About Finding Self-Compassion and Being Gentle
Recommendation
-
California teen pleads guilty in Florida to making hundreds of ‘swatting’ calls across the US
-
'Saving lives': Maui police release dramatic body cam video of Lahaina wildfire rescues
-
Jana Kramer Claps Back at Rumors Her Pregnancy Is Fake
-
Thousands of Bangladesh’s garment factory workers protest demanding better wages
-
John Krasinski named People magazine’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive
-
Auto strike settlements will raise costs for Detroit’s Big 3. Will they be able to raise prices?
-
UK summit aims to tackle thorny issues around cutting-edge AI risks
-
King Charles III visits war cemetery in Kenya after voicing ‘deepest regret’ for colonial violence