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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Better Data and Better Outcomes: Reducing Maternal Mortality in the U.S.
Provides the House Subcommittee on Health hearing recording and related documents on preventing maternal deaths. Addresses disparities in rural maternal mortality. Features testimonies from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Birth Equity Collaborative, March of Dimes, and more.
Additional links: Joia Crear Perry Testimony, Stacey Stewart Testimony
Date: 09/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Opioid-Affected Births to Rural Residents
Examines rates of diagnosis of maternal opioid use disorder and infant neonatal abstinence syndrome for rural residents at time of childbirth. Includes statistics for delivery location with breakdowns by rural, urban non-teaching, and urban teaching hospitals.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Tongtan Chantarat, Alexandra Ecklund, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Maternal Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in California Counties
Presents a study on maternal access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in California. Discusses the role of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in treating neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and highlights some of the barriers rural pregnant women with OUD must overcome to receive treatment.
Author(s): Anuj Gangopadhyaya, Lisa Clemans-Cope, Marni Epstein
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Rural Health Opioid Program Funds Care Coordination Efforts for Recovery
Highlights programs funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy that provide opioid treatment and recovery care coordination. An Ohio program uses care coordination in an existing syringe exchange program and county family drug court, a Kentucky program focuses on helping prisoners, and a Montana program reaches new and expectant mothers.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Trends and Disparities in Delivery Hospitalizations Involving Severe Maternal Morbidity, 2006–2015
Reports on trends and disparities in delivery hospitalizations involving severe maternal morbidity from 2006 through the third quarter of 2015. Includes data by location of patient residence for large metropolitan, small metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural (noncore) areas.
Additional links: Infographic
Author(s): Kathryn R. Fingar, Megan M. Hambrick, Kevin C. Heslin, Jennifer E. Moore
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Non-Medical Opioid Use among Rural and Urban Pregnant Women, 2007-2014
Examines data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2007 to 2014 to determine differences in non-medical opioid use among rural and urban pregnant women. Covers policy and practice implications to inform program and clinical efforts to address the crisis.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Carrie Henning-Smith, Tongtan Chantarat, Tongtan Chantarat, Cresta Jones
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Obstetric Care by Family Physicians and Infant Mortality in Rural Alabama
Results of a study to determine whether availability of prenatal care and obstetric services as provided by family physicians was associated with lower infant mortality in Pickens County, Alabama. Features statistics including infant mortality rates, rates of low birth weight, and cumulative births to females ages 10-19, in selected Alabama counties during 1986-1991, 1993-2001, and 2005-2013.
Author(s): Jessica Powell, Catherine Skinner, Drake Lavender, Daniel Avery, James Leeper
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 31(4), 542-549
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
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Strengthening the Workforce to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes in Rural Areas
Highlights rural workforce initiatives related to maternity and childbirth services and discusses strategies to improve rural pregnancy outcomes. Features a training program at a Critical Access Hospital in Alaska and a rural OB-GYN residency program in Wisconsin.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
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Differences Between Rural and Urban Areas in Mortality Rates for the Leading Causes of Infant Death: United States, 2013–2015
Examines mortality rates for the five leading causes of infant, neonatal, and postneonatal death for rural, small and medium urban, and large urban counties, based on location of the mother's residence. Causes examined are congenital malformations, low birthweight, sudden infant death syndrome, maternal complications, and unintentional injuries.
Additional links: Questions for the Author, NCHStats blog
Author(s): Danielle M. Ely, Donna L. Hoyert
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Challenges Related to Pregnancy and Returning to Work after Childbirth in a Rural, Tourism-Dependent Community
Discusses the challenges related to pregnancy and returning to work after childbirth in rural, tourism-dependent communities. Examines the issues of pregnancy timing and maternity leave, breastfeeding support, and child care, providing recommendations for improving conditions in each area. Results are based on a focus group of 6 women, which included 3 mothers and 3 pregnant women.
Author(s): Amanda Corbett, Carrie Henning-Smith, Kristin DeArruda Wharton, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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