Mississippi Ranks Last in Infant and Maternal Health, March of Dimes Report Finds

March of Dimes warns of Mississippi maternity care deserts

Mississippi is among the states facing some of the nation’s most significant gaps in maternity care

Mississippi ranks last in infant and maternal health, March of Dimes report finds

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Mississippi mothers face the highest risk in the nation of having their babies too early or losing them before their first birthday, according to a new March of Dimes report card that gives the state an F grade. The report highlights high rates of preterm births and infant mortality as the primary drivers of the ranking. Doctors say progress is being made Dr. Norman Connell, an OB hospitalist in Mississippi, said the numbe…

Wicker advances maternal healthcare

For all Mississippi’s progress in job creation, infrastructure improvements, and student achievement, we have a lot of work to do to reverse negative trends in maternal healthcare. In recent years, Mississippi has had among the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. Half of our counties are considered maternity care deserts, or areas that lack hospitals, birth centers, or access to obstetric physicians. Too many moms lack adequate pren…

Maternity care deserts make up nearly half of Mississippi counties, March of Dimes says

Malika Holifield holds her sonogram outside Family Health Center, Inc. in Laurel on Wednesday, June 25, 2026.

March of Dimes classifies 44% of Arkansas counties as ‘maternity care deserts,” report shows | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A report released Tuesday by the March of Dimes classified 44% of Arkansas' counties as "maternity care deserts," nearly 10 percentage points above the national average.