About a quarter of expectant mothers are not receiving prenatal care until after their first trimester, according to a new report, contributing to a persistent maternal health crisis in the United States.
The report, released by March of Dimes, a health equity nonprofit, found that 25% of pregnant women this year did not start prenatal care early enough – putting them at higher risk of pregnancy complications, long-term health issues, or even death.
Medical experts told CNN that the trend — part of a four-year decline — is especially concerning because it makes it harder to treat women who may have chronic health issues or conditions spurred by pregnancy, such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. March of Dimes found that preexisting conditions like hypertension increased by 6% and diabetes rose by 8% this year among pregnant women.
“We’ve always known that getting that prenatal care started early is important,” Dr. Michael Warren, March of Dimes’ chief medical and health officer, told CNN. This “gives us the longest possible window to understand how we can best support the health of that pregnant mom … and making sure those are appropriately managed or identifying risk factors.”
Reasons for the alarming development include limited or no access to maternity care — especially after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade case in 2022. Known as “maternity care deserts,” more than a third of counties don’t have birthing facilities or centers in hospitals or even an OB-GYN, family physician or certified nurse-midwife. This makes the approximately 150,000 births that happen every year in the U.S. more loaded with potential complications.
“If you live in one of those counties, you’re going to have to drive farther to get prenatal care, and when your baby is coming, you have longer to go to be able to find a place that can actually deliver,” Warren said.
The report also found that the national preterm birth rate remains stalled at about 10%, which means nearly 380,000 babies were born prematurely in 2024, and preterm birth rates among babies born to Black mothers rose to nearly 15%.
In response, the nonprofit has announced it is expanding its Prematurity Research Centers with a new initiative in Texas and operating mobile health centers that deliver prenatal and postpartum care in communities where women face systemic barriers to care.
“We must confront the systemic inequities that leave families of color and those covered by Medicaid at higher risk, improve access to early prenatal care, and tackle the growing burden of chronic disease—because every mom and baby deserves the chance for a healthy start,” said Cindy Rahman, President & CEO of March of Dimes.
