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  2022-03-07

  Maternity wards are shuttering across the US during the pandemic

  This is a news story from Vox, written by Dylan Scott. Across the nation, maternity wards have been shutting down, making things more dangerous for new mothers. Due to these closures, there has been an increased number in deaths of both infants and pregnant women. These losses of maternity wards have been harshest on those of low income, as well as Black and Hispanic women. Part of these closures have happened due to shortages of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff during the pandemic. The closure of more maternity wards also means women having to travel further to get the care they need. The timing makes this even more difficult during labor, as complications can happen during that, increasing chances of death. Overall, this article shows the ways that the ripple effects from COVID not only affect the mortality rates of mothers and babies, but disproportionately hurt poor, Black, and Hispanic women.