Maternal Health Data Suppression and Care Barriers Amid Policy Cuts
The Trump administration has terminated federal workers overseeing the CDC's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), cutting off data collection on maternal health experiences across states. A new nationwide survey by the National Partnership for Women and Families reveals widespread barriers to quality maternal care, including provider disrespect, unmet social needs, and untreated mental health conditions, with Black women experiencing disproportionate disparities. The timing is significant as congressional Republicans have enacted cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that threaten maternity services and postpartum coverage expansions.
The Trump administration has suspended the CDC's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), which for decades collected data from tens of thousands of women about their pregnancy experiences across most states. Simultaneously, a new survey by the National Partnership for Women and Families—the first nationwide maternal health survey since 2013—documents significant gaps in maternal care: approximately 40 percent of respondents reported being disrespected or dismissed by providers during labor and delivery, over a third experienced unmet social needs like inadequate income or childcare, and up to a fourth reported untreated depressive or anxiety symptoms. Black women and those on Medicaid reported particularly severe disparities. The data suppression occurs alongside congressional cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that threaten maternity services at rural hospitals and risk rolling back recent postpartum coverage expansions. Experts warn that these policy changes undermine efforts to address the U.S.'s comparatively high maternal mortality rates, particularly among Black women who experience three times higher mortality than white women.
What's missing
The article does not provide the Trump administration's stated rationale for the PRAMS suspension or responses from HHS/CDC officials defending the decision. Additionally, specific details on the scope and timeline of the federal worker terminations at the CDC are limited, though the article notes the termination is being challenged in court.
What different sources said
- Mother JonesLeft
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