State and National Research and Resources Round-Up March of Dimes: Maternity Care Deserts Report Over the past 15 years, more than two dozen maternity wards in New York have shut down due to staff shortages and declining birth rates. Many of these closures have occurred in upstate New York, particularly in rural areas, where access to reproductive care is already limited. Recent research from March of Dimes shows an uptick during the pandemic in maternal deaths and birth-related complications, as well as widened racial disparities. In New York in 2021, the pre-term birth rate for Black women was nearly 14 percent—twice the rate of White women—according to the report. Read the full report by clicking on the following link: Maternity Care Deserts Report. The State of New York’s Babies ZERO TO THREE recently released the 2023 State of Babies Book, which shows key demographics and data on health and early learning outcomes for babies and toddlers. New York is home to 649,646 babies, representing 3.3 percent of the state’s population. The state’s youngest children are diverse and raised in a variety of family contexts and household structures. As many as 37 percent live in households with incomes less than twice the federal poverty line. Users can compare New York State data, including WIC coverage for infants and toddlers, to national averages or other state outcomes. View New York’s profile by clicking on the following link: The State of New York’s Babies. Two in Five U.S. Babies Benefit from WIC USDA’s recent Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape reported that a monthly average of more than 6 million U.S. women, infants and young children received WIC benefits in 2022, nearly the same as the previous fiscal year. About 2 in 5 of the 3.7 million babies born in the U.S. in 2022 benefited from WIC. Children 1-4 years of age made up more than half (54.8 percent) of all participants, whereas infants constituted 22.8 percent and women constituted 22.4 percent. New USDA WIC Coverage Report According to USDA’s recent report, National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and WIC Program Reach in 2021, WIC served only 51 percent of 12.1 million eligible participants in 2021. This was a decrease from 52 percent in 2020, and 54 percent in 2016. However, the coverage rate for children increased (1.5 percent from 2020 to 2021). The coverage rate was highest for two-parent families at 60.5 percent, and Hispanic/Latinx individuals at 58 percent, and lower for Black-only, non-Hispanic individuals at 49 percent. The coverage rate was lowest for White-only, non-Hispanic individuals at 44 percent. Nationally, more than 50 percent of WIC-eligible SNAP and Medicaid recipients do not participate in WIC. In New York, about 53 percent of the 702,000 WIC-eligible people in the state participated in 2021, including 45 percent of individuals who identify as White-only, 55 percent Hispanic/Latinx individuals, and 58 percent of those who identify as Other than White-only. New Health Care Provider Screening for Food Insecurity Brief The Social Drivers of Health—factors such as housing, food, and finance—can influence health outcomes more so than medical care. In collaboration with anti-hunger advocates, health care providers are ramping up efforts to address food insecurity among patients. View the new Hunger Vital Sign National Community of Practice brief, What Anti-Hunger Advocates Need to Know About Standardized Screening for Food Insecurity and Other Health-Related Social Needs, to learn more about how to leverage screening efforts to connect patients with federal nutrition programs and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of people and communities. New USDA Food Security Report The USDA’s Household Food Security in the United States in 2022 report examines American households’ ability to access sufficient food last year. The study found that 12.8 percent of households—equivalent to 17 million households—struggled to get enough food in 2022, up from 10.2 percent, or 13.5 million households, in 2021, and the largest annual increase in USDA's hunger measure since 2008. In New York State, the prevalence of household food insecurity was 11.3 percent, up from 10.8 percent in 2017-2019. More than 13 million children, or 18.5 percent of the country's child population, lived in food-insecure households in 2022. Rates of food insecurity were higher for Black (22.4 percent) and Latinx (20.8 percent) households, both more than double the rate of White non-Latinx households (9.3 percent). |
