A Troubling Reality, A Hopeful Future

Trends 2024: What 5 emerging trends in maternal and infant health mean to payers, providers, and patients in the year ahead.

Read Length: 4 Minutes

The perilous state of maternal and infant health is evident, and the industry is stepping up to change it.?

In recent years, it’s been impossible to miss the recurring drumbeat that maternal health is in a state of crisis. The U.S. has the highest maternal death rate of the world’s wealthiest nations with that number rising steadily. Women today are 50% more likely to die in childbirth than their mothers were and 80% of those pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.??

Stark disparities continue to persist: Black women and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women are three and two times more likely, respectively, than white women to die of pregnancy-related causes. Maternal and infant mortality, however, are not the only measures of an ailing system. Rates of preterm birth are also on the rise, spiking in 2022 when 1 in 10 babies were born at least three weeks early.?

What is causing this distressing situation? A complex mix of factors that are often more sociological than biological. People’s experiences and social circumstances—Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) such as education level, income, geography, and race— have been shown to influence 80% to 90% of their health status.??

In the year to come, even more attention and action will be directed at making women’s health and healthcare more accessible, equitable, and critical.?

Trend #1 | Stronger Health Plan Interventions??

Payers are expanding efforts to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and equity.??

Stakeholders in the healthcare industry are eager to stem the tide of poor health outcomes and diminished equity in maternal and infant health. Payers and providers are especially focused on the powerful potential of removing barriers to healthcare—prenatal healthcare in particular. Here’s one major reason why: when pregnant individuals don’t receive prenatal care, their infants are five times more likely to die during birth or the postpartum period.?

Trend #2 | A Promising Shift in Healthcare Research

Coming studies will zero in on long-neglected maternal health concerns.??

Research chronically lags for women’s health issues and experiences. Most funding dollars go toward conditions that affect both sexes or solely men, and women tend to be underrepresented in clinical trials for emerging treatments. Indeed, less than 11% of the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) 2020 medical research budget went toward studying conditions that primarily affect women.??

Among these women-centric conditions, of course, is pregnancy—which means this vast disparity in both funding and clinical interest has serious implications for the current American maternal health crisis. But this documented gender gap in medical research is poised to shift in coming years, particularly as it pertains to maternal and infant health.?

Trend #4 The Rise of Virtual Prenatal and Postpartum Healthcare??

As millions of parents attempt to navigate a lack of access to pre- and postnatal care, digital solutions are helping to bridge the gap.?

The average recommended number of in-office visits for pregnant women is between 12 and 14.? Leaving work during the day to attend another appointment is not feasible for many women. And for an increasing percentage, it means traveling long distances. A staggering 4.7 million pregnant women live in counties with limited maternity care.?

But one of the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic—telehealth—is on course to upend this long-standing paradigm. While some prenatal appointments must be conducted in person, a great deal of the routine monitoring required during pregnancy (the fetus’ heart rate or the mother’s weight or blood sugar levels) can be done at home and self-reported to providers.??

As we look back on 2023 and forward to 2024, two seemingly paradoxical realities become clear: American maternal and infant health is in a state of crisis, and yet the future holds tremendous hope for meaningful improvement.?

Visit our website to read more and reveal all 5 trends here.

#ICYMI

Many new moms struggle with their mental health in shame and silence. Women’s Health Magazine dives into the details of new medications, illustrates the pervasiveness of postpartum depression, and outlines the success of various treatment options.??

Read more here.

Upcoming Events

Visit our experts on Maternal and Infant Health at these upcoming events!??

• Future of Maternal Care Summit – San Francisco, CA January 30th-31st?
• Women’s Digital Health Summit – San Francisco, CA February 1st-2nd?
• 15th Annual Medicaid Innovations Forum – St. Petersburg, FL February 5th-6th

Before You Go

As we begin a new year and look forward to 2024, pregnant women deserve a future in which their health risks are managed, their circumstances understood, and their voices heard.?Visit ProgenyHealth.com to learn how we can change the maternal and infant health narrative.