Indiana has some of the worst infant and maternal mortality rates in the country. And those numbers are even worse among Black Hoosiers and in rural areas.

An important aspect of lowering infant and maternal mortality rates is connecting pregnant people to prenatal care earlier. But that can be difficult in rural areas that are considered maternal care deserts. A hospital on the edge of Indiana’s largest obstetric care desert created a clinic to remove at least one barrier to that care.

A statewide program to support pregnant people and new parents with substance use disorders received nearly $3 million in federal funding to expand. The Pregnancy Promise Program expects to use the funding to prioritize rural and under-resourced communities.

It’s been nearly one year since Indiana’s near-total abortion ban took effect, limiting access to care to just a few narrow exceptions. It will take some time for data to better reflect the impact the law has had on Hoosiers.

Preliminary data for 2023 shows a decrease in Indiana's infant mortality rate for the first time since 2019, according to a new report.

Black patients in Indiana have a higher infant and maternal mortality rate than White patients despite having fewer births overall.

At a time when many rural hospitals continue to make the tough choice to shutter their obstetrics units and stop delivering babies, some have found ways to make their units survive and, sometimes, even thrive.

One of the few, narrow exceptions of Indiana's near-total abortion ban is if the pregnant person's health or life is at risk. However, some providers say because the bans language is vague, they have concerns about the potential legal risk of determining what qualifies under the exception.

State officials said Indiana's lack of access to obstetrics care is growing, which is driving the state's high infant and maternal mortality rates. Some lawmakers said more funding and better Medicaid reimbursements could help keep birthing centers open.

Indiana lawmakers recognize that doulas can improve maternal outcomes. So, they passed new laws and dispensed millions of dollars in grants to expand access to doula services with no real progress.