More than one in three U.S. counties qualify as maternity care deserts, according to a report released by the March of Dimes this month [1].
This shortage of accessible care creates significant risks for pregnant people, as the lack of local facilities can delay emergency interventions and routine prenatal monitoring.
A maternity care desert is defined as an area lacking a birthing hospital, a birth center, or an obstetric clinician [2]. The report finds that more than 33% of U.S. counties meet this criteria [1]. Other data indicates that approximately 33% of counties lack access to OB-GYN providers, or labor-and-delivery units [3].
While the crisis is national, some regions face more severe shortages than others. In Arkansas, 44% of counties are classified as maternity care deserts [4]. Specific areas identified as deserts include Madison, Crawford, Franklin, Logan, and Scott counties [5]. Alabama also shows high rates of limited access to maternity services [6].
The report highlights a broader collapse of birthing infrastructure across the country. More than 50% of U.S. counties have no labor and delivery hospitals [7]. This gap is driven by shortages of obstetric clinicians and a decline in the number of available birthing facilities [6].
These shortages force many patients to travel long distances for basic prenatal care and delivery services. The lack of local obstetricians and hospitals increases the reliance on midwives, and other alternative care models in rural areas [8].
“More than one in three U.S. counties qualify as maternity care deserts”
The prevalence of maternity care deserts suggests a systemic failure in rural healthcare infrastructure. When over half of the country lacks a labor and delivery hospital, maternal mortality and morbidity risks increase due to travel time during complications. This trend indicates that the U.S. is seeing a geographical consolidation of specialized medical care, leaving rural and low-income populations with diminished access to essential life-saving services.
