ArrayMaternal and Reproductive Health

California was the first state to enact a paid family leave entitlement in 2002, providing eligible workers up to six weeks of paid leave. Jessica E. Pac, Ann P. Bartel, and Jane Waldfogel of Columbia University, and Christopher J. Ruhm of the University of Virginia evaluated the effect of the policy on breastfeeding in this National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper.

Black immigrant women face compounded challenges in the U.S. healthcare system due to race, immigration status, and nativity, leading to disparities in maternal health outcomes. This project will explore how these factors affect access to maternal care and birth outcomes, especially in states with expanded Medicaid/CHIP eligibility for immigrant populations.

Decades of disparities in health between infants born to Black and white mothers have persisted in recent years, despite policy initiatives to improve maternal and reproductive health for Black mothers.

This study will use national survey data to describe receipt of postpartum care components and outcomes for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Latine patients and for Indigenous patients and by co-occurring intersectional identities (e.g., geography, health insurance); and, model potential health equity impacts of maternal health policies, focusing on Medicaid inclusivity toward immigrant populations and the interplay of Indian Health Services with Medicaid.

Infant mortality, defined as the death of a baby after birth up to one year of age, is a national indicator of population-level health. The United States has an average infant mortality rate (IMR) of 6 deaths per 1,000 live births, a rate that is more than 70% higher than other comparable, high-resource nations.

This project will quantitatively assess whether the impacts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on health care access and utilization were equitable between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women.  

Despite having one of the lowest poverty rates and highest median incomes in the U.S., New Jersey has the fourth-highest maternal mortality rate and one of the highest maternal morbidity rates in the nation. One of the most diverse states in the country, New Jersey has significant maternal health disparities by county, race, and ethnicity, yet few studies have investigated the extent or the underlying causes of these geographic and racial/ethnic disparities.

Birth outcomes, including infant mortality and low birth weight, are shockingly poor in the U.S. Researchers will assess whether the ACA increased intended pregnancies, reduced prepregnancy smoking, and affected contraception and birth outcomes among women covered by Medicaid--and whether these changes reduced disparities across racial and ethnic groups.

Recent media reports have highlighted startling trends in U.S. maternal health with stark differences across racial and ethnic groups. Maternal deaths associated with pregnancy and childbirth are high when compared to other developed countries and have increased substantially over the last two decades.

While efforts have been made to improve care during pregnancy, there is growing recognition that access to care prior to pregnancy and after childbirth is critically important for the health of a woman and her infant.

The U.S. lags far behind other countries in public policies that support parents in the crucial first days, weeks, and months of a child's life. Most notably, the U.S. is the only developed country that does not guarantee a period of paid and job-protected leave for new parents. As a result, paid family leave coverage is both limited and highly unequal. This situation, however, is beginning to change, as California, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island and a handful of U.S. cities now have paid family leave (PFL) programs.