Cedar Rapids Today

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Hinson (IA-02) released a statement following the signing into law of her bipartisan, bicameral Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act. The legislation was introduced by Hinson in July 2023 alongside Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12).

Hinson has been a leading advocate for stillbirth prevention in Congress, working with advocates to raise awareness about stillbirth and expand access to federal resources to help prevent this tragedy.

“Today is a huge milestone in our fight to end stillbirth, the unexpected loss of a baby after more than 20 weeks of pregnancy. I am proud to have worked with so many incredible advocates, many of whom have endured the heartbreak of stillbirth, to bring this vital legislation across the finish line and expand federal resources for stillbirth prevention. I thank President Biden for signing this bipartisan legislation into law, and I will continue my work to improve maternal health care access for more healthy moms and healthy babies.” - 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. every year, and nearly one in four stillbirths are preventable. In the last two decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States declined by only 0.4 percent. A report published by the World Health Organization ranked the United States 183 out of 195 countries in progress on improving stillbirth rates.

The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act amends Title V, the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant of the Social Security Act, to clarify that stillbirth prevention activities and research are an allowable use of funds. This clarification aims to support activities that could save lives.