go to Sexual & Reproductive Health( parent category ) Sexual & Reproductive Health Maternal Health

Maternal health and well-being deeply influences the health of future generations.

06.24.2024 high angle image of a new mother breastfeeding her infant

Understanding the Challenges of Breastfeeding

There are many benefits to breastfeeding, but racial, economic, and educational disparities make doing so difficult for some new parents.

Guest Authors Laura Diaz, Joe Feinglass

05.14.2024

The Weight of Women’s Health Insurance

Insurance status is deeply connected to birth weight, with uninsured pregnant women more likely to have a low-birth-weight birth.

Fellow Heather Sherr

05.02.2024

Confronting the Challenges of Breastfeeding with a Disability

Mothers with disabilities were less likely to receive information about breastfeeding from their providers and were less likely to breastfeed their infants in the first few months postpartum than mothers without disabilities.

Fellow Dani Weissert

10.25.2023 line graphs showing maternal age–specific rates of very low birthweight in the U.S., by maternal race, 2017–19

Weighing In on Maternal Health

Black mothers are giving birth to very low-weight children (under 5.8 lbs) nearly twice as often as White mothers, with the gap in low birthweight increasing as maternal age increases.

Fellow Sean Hagan