Nonprofit launches maternal health data tool
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Bentonville-based Heartland Forward recently launched a beta version of the Maternal Resiliency Index, an interactive online tool.
Why it matters: Policymakers can use the tool to examine maternal health statistics by county and estimate how policy changes could affect outcomes, Rachel Morrow, director of the Maternal and Child Health Center for Policy and Practice, told Axios.
Case in point: A policy change could cost money, but the tool could estimate how much money that change would likely save in the long run, she said.
How it works: The tool — developed with the Child Health Center for Policy and Practice, ParentData founder Emily Oster and Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America president Neel Shah — evaluates three "core elements," according to a news release. They include:
- Stressors — risk factors and social determinants of health.
- Supports — protective policies, health care access and community resources.
- Birth outcomes — data on rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, low-risk first-birth cesarean and no prenatal care in the first trimester.
Context: "The index defines 'resiliency' as the resources, programs and structures that states and counties put in place to support moms and babies before, during and after birth," according to a news release.
- The index allows users to see how moms' stressors, supports and birth outcomes fare overall, but also by age groups or race.
Zoom in: The index identifies several policy opportunities for Arkansas, including employer tax credits for paid maternity leave, extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to one year after birth and improving prenatal counseling to prevent postpartum depression.
Go deeper: Explore the index.