Hinson's Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act Passes the House

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Hinson (IA-02) released the below statement following House passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act. She introduced the bill in July 2023 alongside Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12). Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. Watch Rep. Hinson's floor remarks on this bill here. 

“Stillbirth is a preventable tragedy that has devastated too many families, and the stillbirth rate in the U.S. is unacceptably high. This bipartisan pro-life legislation will help improve maternal care options to save moms and babies and end the heartbreak of stillbirth."  - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson 

“For too long, stillbirth has been a silent crisis. Over 21,000 babies are stillborn every year. According to a recent study, nearly 1 in 4 stillbirths are potentially preventable, and the United States is trailing other countries in making progress. We owe it to our mothers to reduce or remove the unnecessary risks that have made pregnancy unsafe. All available data suggests we can make progress, and the Stillbirth Prevention Act will address this injustice so more mothers and babies experience a healthy birth and make it home with their families.” - Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. 

“Stillbirth upends the lives of parents and families in communities all across the United States. Our Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act will help address this public health crisis, which affects Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native communities at disproportionately higher rates. Nearly 1 in 4 stillbirths are potentially preventable, and I applaud the House for passing this bill to ensure robust federal resources go towards stillbirth prevention activities and research.” - Senator Jeff Merkley

“Every life is precious. We can save the lives of babies and mothers by improving access to stillbirth prevention. This is a pro-life bill." - Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.

“The U.S. medical community should be able to use federal resources to advance evidence-based stillbirth prevention efforts. By cutting red tape, our bill will make that possible. I’ll be working alongside my House and Senate colleagues to get this legislation to the president’s desk.”  - Senator Chuck Grassley

"The deafening silence of a baby born still echoes through hospitals across our country 65 times every single day. Stillbirth is a public health crisis, with over 21,000 babies born still every year in the U.S. ― the annual number of deaths far exceeds the top five leading causes of deaths among children ages 0-14 years combined, including unintentional injuries, congenital anomalies, preterm birth, homicide, SIDS, and heart disease. Families have grieved in silence for decades - and this legislation says we can end preventable stillbirths. Words cannot express our gratitude to Congresswomen Ashley Hinson and Alma Adams for their leadership on helping make stillbirth a maternal health tragedy of the past." - Emily Price, Healthy Birth Day, Inc. CEO

“March of Dimes is pleased to see the House pass the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act (S.2231/H.R.4581), which will allow states to use resources under the Title V Maternal and Infant Health Block Grant for stillbirth prevention programs. This is the first victory during this Congress for families affected by stillbirth and serves to invigorate champions to continue to pursue policy changes to help improve health outcomes for all moms and babies. We thank Representatives Alma Adams and Ashley Hinson for their leadership on this legislation. March of Dimes is committed to ensuring that all moms have the opportunity to have a healthy pregnancy and carry their babies to term. We look forward to seeing this legislation signed by President Biden soon.” - Stacey Y. Brayboy, March of Dimes Sr. Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs

Background:
Stillbirth is the unexpected loss of a child after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Over 21,000 babies are stillborn in the U.S. every year, and nearly one in four stillbirths are preventable. In the last two decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States declined by a negligible 0.4 percent. In a report published by the World Health Organization comparing progress in improving stillbirth rates, the United States ranked 183 out of 195 countries.

The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act amends Title V, the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant of the Social Security Act, to clarify that stillbirth prevention activities and research are an allowable use of funds. This clarification will support stillbirth prevention activities, saving the lives of mothers and babies.

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