The number of pregnant women forced to travel farther to deliver their babies — or go without prenatal care entirely — is growing. A March of Dimes report published Tuesday found that over a third of U.S. counties (35.1%) are what the group calls “maternity care deserts,” meaning they don't have a single doctor, nurse, midwife or medical center specializing in maternity care. During 2021 and 2022, about 1 in 25 hospital maternity wards closed, the report found. States in which pregnant women had to travel the farthest to seek medical maternity care included Alaska, Hawaii and Montana. The closest place with maternity care was two hours away from her home in Montana.

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Persons: “ It’s, ”, Ashley Stoneburner, ” Stoneburner, “, There’s, Roe, Wade, “ There’s, Tracey Wilkinson, “ We’re, Vania Biglefthand, Biglefthand Organizations: Dimes, National Center for Health Statistics, Commonwealth, OB, Indiana University School of Medicine Locations: States, Midwest, Arkansas , Missouri , Oklahoma, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Colstrip , Montana, Billings