maternity care

A pregnant woman stands for a portrait in Dallas on May 18. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 20% of women reported experiences of mistreatment during maternal care.

Health & Safety

1 in 5 women report mistreatment from medical staff during pregnancy

6:10pm August 22, 2023

by Ayana Archie

The women reported being verbally abused, having their requests for help go unanswered and having their physical privacy infringed upon, according to a CDC survey.

This map from the nonprofit March of Dimes shows maternity care deserts across the U.S. in 2020.

Millions of Americans are losing access to maternal care. Here's what can be done

9:43am October 12, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

A report from the nonprofit March of Dimes finds that 36% of counties in the U.S. are "maternity care deserts," meaning they have no obstetric hospitals or birth centers and no obstetric providers.

Health & Safety

Novant Health breaks ground on Kernersville Medical Center expansion

10:49am December 10, 2021

by Neal Charnoff

Some insurers using this new payment model offer a single fee to one OB-GYN or medical practice, which then uses part of that money to cover the hospital care involved in labor and delivery. Other insurers opt to cut a separate contract with the hospital.

A New Way Of Paying For Maternity Care Aims To Reduce C-Sections

1:38pm September 20, 2019

by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

Instead of paying doctors piecemeal for prenatal appointments and delivery of the baby, some insurers now offer medical practices one lump sum to cover it all.

Extreme lack of attention is not unusual in hospitals in poor countries, says Martin Onyango, legal advisor for the Center for Reproductive Rights based in Nairobi.

Kenyan Woman Abused By Nurses During Childbirth Wins Landmark Case

3:06pm April 10, 2018

by Susan Brink

Josephine Majani passed out searching for help as she delivered her baby on a the floor of a hospital in Kenya. She hopes her case will push for reforms in treatment of women during childbirth.

Jessica Porten went to a doctor's appointment with her daughter, Kira, to get help with postpartum depression. She soon found herself in the company of police who escorted her to a hospital's emergency department.

Nurse Calls Cops After Woman Seeks Help For Postpartum Depression. Right Call?

4:22pm February 07, 2018

by April Dembosky

A package of mental health bills in California aims to make it easier for new moms to get help and to build awareness among more health workers of postpartum mood disorders.

Queue Listen Now

Learning To Care For My Newborn Was A Humbling Experience

5:00am October 22, 2017

by Leana Wen

I'm a doctor, and I oversee public health programs to help new mothers and infants. When my son was born, I discovered just how vitally important that help is.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and other female senators were excluded from the Senate leadership health task force this summer.

Often Missing From The Current Health Care Debate: Women's Voices

1:33pm August 16, 2017

When leaders in Washington discuss the future of American health care, women are not always in the room. Here, eight women from around the country share their personal stories, fears and hopes.