March for Moms Mother's Day Rally to Raise Awareness for Maternal Mortality and Family Issues

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Maternal mortality rates in the U.S. surpass those of any other industrialized nation with women of color dying at four times the rate of white women. March for Moms is pleased to announce its inaugural maternal health advocacy weekend that will bring together experts to speak about the issues, along with families impacted by the issues who will share their personal stories. The family-friendly rally on Washington D.C., will take place from 1-4 p.m. this Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14, at the Jefferson Memorial.

"Never before has such a diverse collective of consumer and provider organizations come together to highlight the devastating consequences going on in our country's maternal health system," said Dr. Ginger Breedlove, founding president of March for Moms. "Through this effort, we will create the necessary momentum to support women and their families through the early stages of parenthood. We are currently lagging in many areas impacting families, and raising awareness about the issues is critical to make a positive change."

To support the rally effort, the March for Moms team will visit Capitol Hill on Friday, May 12 and again on Monday, May 15 to speak to policy makers about the essential need for significant focus and funding on maternal health issues. Learn more about active legislation pertaining to these issues and how to join the Capitol Hill visit.

March for Moms advocates for six key issues:

• Rising Maternal Mortality and Poor Health Outcomes – The rate of mothers dying in childbirth or due to pregnancy related causes continues to climb in the U.S., unlike all other industrialized countries.
• Perinatal Depression – It is estimated that 15-21 percent of pregnant women experience moderate to severe symptoms of depression or anxiety. Without appropriate intervention, poor maternal mental health can have long term and adverse implications for mother, child and family.
• Healthcare Inequity and Disparities – Over the lasts 30 years, racial and ethnic minority women, particularly African-American and Hispanic/Latino/Latino women, continue to experience worse health outcomes when compared to non-Hispanic/Latino white women.
• Premature Birth – In 2015, 1 in 10 babies was born too early or premature in the U.S.
• Lack of Access to Healthcare – The drop in availability of qualified midwives, obstetricians and family medicine physicians to deliver babies across the country.
• Maternity and Family Leave Policies – The United States is the only high-income country, and one of only eight countries in the world, that does not mandate paid leave for mothers of newborns.

For a full list of confirmed speakers please visit: http://www.marchformoms.org/event-info/speakers/.

About March for Moms
March for Moms was established to call attention to the deeply concerning state of family health in the United States in order to improve the health of childbearing families. We proudly stand beside the diverse American families who are doing the difficult and rewarding work of nurturing our future generations. To learn more please visit the March for Moms website.

SOURCE March for Moms

Related Links

http://www.marchformoms.org