The type of health insurance a mother possesses may influence the likelihood of infant mortality, according to a recent study examining childbirth outcomes based on private insurance versus Medicaid.
Dr. David Principe, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine at St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson, emphasized the need to understand the reasons behind this disparity.
Paterson, a community with a high prevalence of high-risk pregnancies, faces various contributing factors such as socioeconomic status, access to prenatal care, dietary habits, including processed food and soda consumption, and substance use, including smoking and drugs.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that infants born to mothers with private insurance had a lower infant mortality rate compared to those born to mothers with Medicaid, where the mortality rate was nearly twice as high.
Dr. Monique de Four Jones, Associate Chief of Labor and Delivery at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, highlighted the trend, emphasizing the importance of early prenatal care for expecting mothers. She pointed out that some patients lack insurance, only seeking care during delivery, and then receiving emergency Medicaid coverage, which extends to the baby automatically.
The key is ensuring early access to care for pregnant women to address disparities.
