There are more than 3.5 million births in the United States every year, according to data from the March of Dimes.

That same report detailed how those mothers face rising rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.

Compared to the United States as a whole, New York state’s data fares better than others, but still has room for improvement. For example:

• More than 4% of New York women had no birthing hospital within 30 minutes, compared to almost 10% in the nation
• More than 12% had inadequate prenatal care in New York. That number nationally is closer to 15%
• Only 3% of counties in New York are considered maternity care deserts, compared to nearly 33% nationwide

Birthing experts said this issue could be improved with an investment in evidence-based midwifery. 

“A lot of the United States is living a lie,” said Betsy Mercogliano, founder of Birthnet, a reproductive health and birth justice center in Albany. “It’s not true that we are better than everybody. It’s not true that we’ve got this handled better than everybody. Other countries acknowledge that the most appropriate care for having a baby, unless you are extremely high risk, is midwifery care.”

Mercogliano said teaming up physicians with certified midwives can drastically improve health for expecting parents and babies.

According to the March of Dimes, in New York as of 2019, the infant mortality rate was 4.7 per 1,000 live births.

In the Capital Region, advocates, including Mercogliano, are fighting to keep the Burdett Birthing Center open, the only one of its kind east of Buffalo and west of New York City.

In Western New York, Niagara County’s 212,000 residents have only one maternity ward.