Cedar Rapids Today

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) has urged President Biden to sign her Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act into law following the Senate's passage of the bipartisan legislation. Hinson introduced the bill in July 2023 alongside Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12), with the House passing it in May 2024. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“We are one step closer to preventing stillbirths and helping more women have healthy pregnancies and babies! I am so excited the Senate passed my Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act, and I hope President Biden will sign this bipartisan, pro-life legislation into law soon. I am grateful to everyone who has advocated for this vital legislation, and we will continue our work to support expecting mothers and their babies," said Congresswoman Ashley Hinson.

Stillbirth is defined as the unexpected loss of a child after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Over 21,000 babies are stillborn in the U.S. each year, with nearly one in four stillbirths being preventable. In the past two decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States has declined by only 0.4 percent. A report by the World Health Organization ranked the United States 183rd out of 195 countries in terms of progress on improving stillbirth rates.

The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act amends Title V of the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant under the Social Security Act to clarify that funds can be used for stillbirth prevention activities and research. This amendment aims to support efforts to reduce stillbirths, thereby saving lives.

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