Why is Midwifery So Important?
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), more than half of all Alabama counties have no obstetric care. This means that some rural women may have to drive up to 2 hours to deliver at an in-state hospital. The 2013 ADPH report states that, “Nearly 26% of all births to Alabama residents in 2012 involved cases in which the mother had less than adequate prenatal care. This percentage was almost 53 percent in two Alabama counties” (Site PDF pg. 51).
Furthermore, under current Alabama law and legal precedent, a nationally credentialed midwife may be prosecuted for assisting with an out-of-hospital delivery. This applies even if a woman in labor is in need of care but without access, such as during a natural disaster or spontaneous delivery in a remote location.
The state of Alabama has the 2nd highest neonatal mortality rate in America (Site), the 25th highest maternal mortality rate, and 55% of Alabama women live in a medically under-served area (Site PDF pg. 104, 110).
Certified Professional Midwives could help fill statewide gaps in obstetrics by providing prenatal care, assistance with out-of-hospital births, and support for laboring women in transfer to a hospital. Legalizing midwives has incredible potential to save lives by lowering neonatal and maternal mortality rates.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that caesarean rates (among all women, not just low risk) should not exceed 15% (Site pg. 25). However, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alabama had the 7th highest c-section rate in America at 35.8% in 2011 (Site) and our nation's overall rate is nearly 33% (Site). Meanwhile, only 5.2% of low risk patients attempting an out-of-hospital delivery with a midwife end up transferring to a hospital for a caesarean (Site). By comparison, the caesarean rate among low risk births occurring in a hospital is 19% (Site PDF).
You can find the caesarean rates for your local Alabama hospitals here:
2011 Rates
2012 Rates (PDF)
Furthermore, under current Alabama law and legal precedent, a nationally credentialed midwife may be prosecuted for assisting with an out-of-hospital delivery. This applies even if a woman in labor is in need of care but without access, such as during a natural disaster or spontaneous delivery in a remote location.
The state of Alabama has the 2nd highest neonatal mortality rate in America (Site), the 25th highest maternal mortality rate, and 55% of Alabama women live in a medically under-served area (Site PDF pg. 104, 110).
Certified Professional Midwives could help fill statewide gaps in obstetrics by providing prenatal care, assistance with out-of-hospital births, and support for laboring women in transfer to a hospital. Legalizing midwives has incredible potential to save lives by lowering neonatal and maternal mortality rates.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that caesarean rates (among all women, not just low risk) should not exceed 15% (Site pg. 25). However, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alabama had the 7th highest c-section rate in America at 35.8% in 2011 (Site) and our nation's overall rate is nearly 33% (Site). Meanwhile, only 5.2% of low risk patients attempting an out-of-hospital delivery with a midwife end up transferring to a hospital for a caesarean (Site). By comparison, the caesarean rate among low risk births occurring in a hospital is 19% (Site PDF).
You can find the caesarean rates for your local Alabama hospitals here:
2011 Rates
2012 Rates (PDF)
The Alabama Birth Coalition (ABC) is an all volunteer organization working toward better birth options. To get involved, visit www.alabamabirthcoalition.org and like ABC on Facebook.