Mississippi News
Health issues facing mothers and children in Mississippi
Data Dive: Health issues facing mothers and children in Mississippi
A number of challenges continue to burden the mothers and children of Mississippi, especially after the landmark decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed Mississippi's abortion trigger law to go into effect, banning abortion in nearly all cases.
In the wake of Roe's overturning, advocates and activists have put even more pressure on state leaders to help rectify problems such as postpartum Medicaid expansion, overall access to health care, infant mortality and more.
On Sept. 27, the Senate Study Group on Women, Children and Families, a committee created by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, held the first of a series of hearings to ascertain the breadth of these issues.
As reported by Senior Political Reporter Geoff Pender, “46% of Mississippi children are in single-parent homes. One in five children experienced hunger in the last year. Nine out of 1,000 babies in Mississippi die. In the rural Delta, there are 4,000 children for every one pediatrician — statewide that number drops only to 2,000 per — and many counties have no OB/GYN. Many mothers do not receive proper prenatal or postpartum care. Mississippi has alarming rates of premature, low-weight babies being born.”
Organizations representing Black women have criticized the Senate committee for the lack of members who are Black women, with only one out of nine members.
“Black women and babies experience a disproportionate share of the state's highest-in-the-nation rates of stillbirth, low birth weight, and infant mortality,” writes Pender.
“What we're asking for here is just a right to life,” said Angela Grayson, lead organizer for Black Women Vote Coalition and advocacy and outreach coordinator for The Lighthouse. “The data is here. The data shows that [extending postpartum Medicaid coverage] is good legislation and that that is what we need here in Mississippi for Black women to be able to go through the childbirth experience and not have the unnecessary burdens of inadequate health care.”
Community Health Reporter Isabelle Taft reports that according to the latest data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Mississippi remains the deadliest state for babies.
In the United States as a whole, 5.42 per 1,000 live births died before their first birthday. In Mississippi, those figures only continue to rise — 5.7 among white infants, 8.12 statewide and 11.8 among Black infants.
And among the leading causes of infant mortality, while birth defects lead the nation, Mississippi infants mostly face premature birth — the highest rate in the country, pregnancy and delivery complications, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
READ MORE: Mississippi remains deadliest state for babies, CDC data shows
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Weekend warm up
SUMMARY: The weather in Columbus, Mississippi is expected to warm up as a stationary front that has been keeping moisture in the area is set to move out. Clouds will linger Thursday night, maintaining mild temperatures in the lower 60s. Friday will see a mix of sunshine and clouds, with temperatures reaching the 80s. The weekend will be warm with afternoon highs in the middle 80s and a chance of isolated showers. Next week will bring another chance of showers and thunderstorms with temperatures staying in the 80s. Light rain chances will persist throughout the week with highs ranging from the upper 70s to middle 80s.
The post Weekend warm up appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
JSU fans react to Tomekia Reed leaving for Charlotte
SUMMARY: Jackson State University's Women's Basketball head coach, Tomekia Reed, is stepping down to take a job at Charlotte after achieving significant success at JSU. Under Reed's leadership, the Lady Tigers won multiple SWAC titles and made it to the NCAA tournament. Reed had an overall record of 125-54 and produced two WNBA draft picks. Fans expressed sadness at her departure but wished her the best. Reed herself stated that she will always be a Tiger. Now, attention turns to JSU Athletic Director Ashley Robinson to find a replacement for Reed as head coach.
The post JSU fans react to Tomekia Reed leaving for Charlotte appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Mississippi Senate conferees skip Medicaid expansion talks
SUMMARY: Lawmakers in Mississippi are working on a deal to expand Medicaid for the working poor, with drama unfolding at the State Capitol. After a promising initial meeting, a scheduled follow-up was canceled on Wednesday. When the House conferees showed up for the rescheduled meeting on Thursday, the Senate conferees did not attend. The meeting lasted only five minutes, disappointing the House conferees. They expressed frustration with the lack of progress and the importance of passing the historic legislation. Senate conferees were in a separate committee meeting during the scheduled Medicaid expansion conference, indicating that no compromise has been reached yet.
The post Mississippi Senate conferees skip Medicaid expansion talks appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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