The Advocate. April 9, 2024.

Editorial: Lawmakers can, and should, address Louisiana’s maternal and infant mortality crisis

Of all the “bad” rankings on which Louisiana leads the nation, none are more heartbreaking — or damning — than those reflecting the risks associated with childbirth.

Here’s one such measure: In the decade prior to the pandemic, babies in Louisiana were 65% more likely to die from preterm birth and low birth weight than those in the rest of the country, according to an analysis of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention data by The Times-Picayune ' The Advocate.

Here’s a related one: Louisiana had the fifth-highest maternal death rate among all states from 2018 to 2021, according to the health care research outlet KFF.

Many factors contribute to the crisis, including preexisting health issues affecting women who get pregnant and the difficulty navigating care for Louisiana moms whose pregnancies are covered by Medicaid.

So we’re glad to see that, this session, the Legislature is considering a number of bills aimed at making childbearing less dangerous.

We urge lawmakers to act on behalf of the moms and kids who desperately need better outcomes. Among the bills filed:

Senate Bill 135 by Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, would allow more women whose pregnancies are covered by Medicaid to keep their coverage for a year beyond childbirth. Advocates note that a majority of Louisiana’s pregnancy-associated deaths happen in the 12 months following delivery. The bill would give this benefit to an additional 8,000 women each year whose incomes are currently above the cutoff.

House Bill 860 by Rep. Michael Echols, R-Monroe, would require newborn nurse home visits to be covered by Medicaid. This would expand a pilot program now underway in New Orleans that’s been linked to fewer emergency room visits, lower rates of child protective services investigations and reduced reports of postpartum depression and anxiety.

Senate Bill 190 by Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, would increase Medicaid reimbursement for services that impact maternal health outcomes.

House Bill 489 by Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, along with Senate Bill 300 by Duplessis, would mandate that postpartum services such as lactation and dietary consulting be covered.

And House Bill 702 by Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, and Senate Bill 142 by Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, aim to standardize coverage of doula services.

These proposals are among those supported by a broad coalition that includes the March of Dimes, the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the Louisiana Partnership for Children & Families, the New Orleans Health Department and other organizations.

We’re encouraged that several of these bills have made it through the initial committee process with little pushback, and hope that lawmakers unite to prioritize this vital cause.

As New Orleans Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno pointed out, the bad outcomes happen in all corners of our state, from the big cities to the rural areas.

“We have a state that’s more than 60% Medicaid births,” she said. “That’s everybody’s constituents.”

More than that. It’s all of our children.

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