Authors:

Kamalika Kummathi

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About Paper:

Maternal healthcare deserts represent a disparity in access to healthcare between rural and urban areas. There are significant gaps in access to prenatal and postnatal care, leading to adverse health outcomes to both mothers and their infants. In addition, the lack of healthcare infrastructure, including the absence of primary obstetric care facilities and maternal health providers, is a prominent feature amongst all maternity deserts. Geographic factors, such as transportation barriers and distance to healthcare facilities, consistently emerge as barriers to care. This study will shed light on how access to maternal healthcare will affect infant mortality by counties in Florida. The majority of studies on this topic have made generalizations about the US or comparisons between states, we will specifically focus on trends in Florida and make comparisons by county. We will use data from the CDC and the Maternity Care Deserts Report to base our findings From our data review we have concluded which hotspots should truly be considered maternal care deserts with high infant mortality rates. After identifying these hotspots, we can then make recommendations, implement interventions and focus attention on improving access to maternal care in these areas. This allows for significant benefits, ultimately resulting in healthier mothers and infants and a more equitable healthcare system. To address the challenges these "hotspots" face, potential strategies include telemedicine visits, educational initiatives, and government grants towards development of health infrastructure. In conclusion, our study has shed light on the critical issue of maternal healthcare deserts and their impact on infant mortality rates in rural and underserved areas of Florida. We have highlighted the persistent disparities in access to maternal healthcare and the adverse health outcomes for both mothers and infants in these regions.

Source:

University of Florida / Kamalika Kummathi, Lauren Vonhof, Matthew Richard, / 2023

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Co-authors:

Kamalika Kummathi