Axios Event: Addressing the gaps in postpartum care

While progress has been made in improving access to and understanding of maternal health care, the American health care system is still struggling to implement comprehensive postpartum care.

• Axios senior health care reporter Tina Reed and social host Paige Hopkins moderated virtual conversations with Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Alloy Women's Health Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Sharon Malone and Maven Clinic Founder and CEO Kate Ryder. The event was sponsored by Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.

Why it matters: Many maternal deaths and cases of postpartum depression occur within a year of giving birth, underscoring the need for even more frequent follow-up care for new mothers.

What they're saying: "It is vitally important that there's more medical follow-up in the immediate postpartum period, because I think that even though we spend a lot of time talking about maternal mortality, what we don't discuss is how many of those unfortunate situations happen after the patient is discharged from the hospital," said Dr. Malone.

Medicaid coverage for postpartum care has expanded in almost every state to cover a year of postpartum care rather than just a six week checkup, but these experts say there needs to be even more.

• "Particularly in postpartum depression, it doesn't just necessarily hit right when you leave the hospital, there [are] multiple moments it can hit," Ryder said.

Challenges in adequate access to postpartum care have been worsened by growing instances of maternity care "deserts" in the U.S., which are counties with no hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care and no obstetric providers.

• "The things that I hear from some of my farmers and other people is just the lack of access, that you have to drive so far. One farmer told me the story of driving 60 miles for his wife to have a baby," Rep. Kelly said.
• Gaps in the workforce are contributing to the shortage of OB/GYN providers in many counties across the nation. "Right now, there's a lot of maternity care deserts in the U.S. More than 35% of U.S. counties don't have an OB/GYN," Ryder said.

Sponsored content:

In a View From the Top sponsored segment, Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health CEO Joy Burkhard pointed out that the U.S. has higher maternal mortality rates than other developed nations.

• The majority of maternal deaths happen in the postpartum period, Burkhard said, noting CDC data finding that 80 percent of maternal deaths are preventable.
• "It has become clear that the primary reason for these preventable maternal deaths is lack of infrastructure, such as safety standards and monitoring of maternal health care in America," Burkhard said.