Louisiana leads the nation in maternal mortality
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Louisiana moms had the nation's highest maternal death rate in 2023, a new report shows.
Zoom in: The state's maternal mortality rate was 41.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to The Commonwealth Fund, a health care foundation.
- That nation-leading rate is on par with countries like Mexico (41.7) and the Seychelles (42.0), the foundation reports.
The big picture: Louisiana has battled its maternal mortality rate for years, which experts have said is the result of a tangled web of factors that make for a deadly combination in the state.
- Among them are high C-section rates, missed postpartum care appointments, high obesity rates, health care racial disparities, tough community conditions, low incomes and little rural access to maternal health care.
- Plus, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the state immediately adopted an abortion ban, which led to a higher maternal mortality rate nationwide among riskier procedures and care delays in Louisiana.
- Delayed care is especially evident in a new New Orleans Health Department study examining the effects of a 2024 state law relabeling misoprostol and mifepristone as controlled substances. The drugs, which can induce abortions, are commonly used to manage miscarriages, induce labor and treat postpartum hemorrhages.
Threat level: The new data means a pregnant mom is four times more likely to die in Louisiana than in California, the Commonwealth Fund says.
- But more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, according to the CDC.
What they're saying: "Historically, states that invest more in health coverage, reproductive care, and social protections tend to have better health outcomes, in some cases on par with high-income countries," the report says.
- Meanwhile, "states that invest less and pass more restrictive policies have outcomes similar to low- and middle-income or politically unstable countries."
What we're watching: State and local officials are working to battle Louisiana's bleak data, although results have been mixed.
- Louisiana is just one of two states in 2025 that'll reimburse doula services on private insurance plans, the report states.
Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.
