Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the maternal mortality rate varies drastically for women by race and ethnicity. On average, there are 13.6 deaths per 100,000 live births for White women, 45 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women, and 13.9 deaths per 100,000 live births for Hispanic women. For American Indian and Alaskan Native women, the National Council of Urban Indian Health estimates there are 54.6 deaths per 100,000 live births. While maternal mortality most disparately impacts Black women and Indigenous women, this urgent public health crisis traverses race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational background, and geography. (2) United States maternal mortality rates are the highest among similarly economically situated countries and continue to increase. (3) Four out of 5 of these maternal deaths are likely preventable. (4) According to the National Institutes of Health, individuals who have doula support during their pregnancy are 4 times less likely to have a low-birth-weight baby, 2 times less likely to experience a birth complication involving themselves or their baby, and significantly more likely to initiate breastfeeding. (5) Midwifery-led care is associated with cost savings, decreased rates of intervention, lower rates of cesarean birth, lower preterm birth rates, and healthier outcomes for mothers and babies. (6) Midwives may practice in any setting, including the home, community, hospitals, birth centers, clinics, or health units.