New report offers solutions to Florida maternal, infant health crisis

TAMPA, Fla. — When it comes to health outcomes for moms and babies in Florida, the numbers aren’t great.

According to the 2023 “Florida Maternal and Infant Health Crisis” report, from the University of Miami (UM) School of Law Human Rights Clinic and the Florida Health Justice Project, between 2013 and 2017, our state ranked 32nd for the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.

And as we’ve previously reported, data shows that if the mom and the baby are Black or Brown, the outcomes are even worse.

But Thursday, one of the project’s lead researchers, Jordan Brooks, told us ABC Action News that there are a few big ways Florida can turn those numbers around.

First up is expanding the state’s Medicaid program.

The idea is if you have access to covered healthcare and if you are healthier before, during, and after pregnancy—the birthing parent and baby generally have better outcomes.

“If they did, they would increase coverage for a lot of individuals who currently fall into what we call the coverage gap,” said Brooks.

That project’s research teams said Florida can also do a better job of educating people about the Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Program.

It allows people who don’t qualify for Medicaid to still access things like sex education, STI testing and treatment, health screenings, and other family planning services.

“We see individuals who would be eligible who are not applying, and then we also see that even when individuals do enroll into these services, that they actually don’t use the services,” said Brooks.

According to Brooks, research also shows the need to expand the services this program offers.

Lastly, researchers said we need to make it easier for folks to access midwives and doulas—especially for those who don’t need much medical intervention during birth.

“We actually see that midwives provide care that is equivalent in terms of its efficacy. And then in terms of its safety, they actually have a safer profile, and that’s with the caveat that midwives are really important for low-risk pregnancies,” said Brooks.

In addition to providing education, the Acting Director of the Human Rights Clinic at UM, Tamar Ezer, said this data will also be used by a maternal health coalition to lobby for change.

“And it’s a very active coalition that is going to be moving forward on advocacy coming out of the research,” she said.

Ezer said the research team has also submitted its findings to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.