Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mrs. HINSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act.

The United States continues to lead the world in medical innovation, development of new cures, and cutting-edge medical technology. However, the high maternal mortality and stillbirth rate in the United States is inexcusable. Over 21,000 babies are stillborn every year, and nearly one in four of these deaths are preventable.

In the last two decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States declined by a negligible 0.4 percent. In a report published by the World Health Organization comparing progress in improving stillbirth rates, the United States ranked 183 out of 195 countries.

Our moms and our babies deserve better.

The tragedy of a stillbirth, the unexpected death of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy, is devastating to mothers and fathers. Many women who endure a stillbirth have already picked out their baby's name or started decorating a nursery. The heartbreak of stillbirth leaves an unfillable void for the families that it impacts.

Stillbirth disproportionately impacts minority, rural, and underserved communities, including many communities in my home State of Iowa that are designated as maternal healthcare deserts.

I have heard from women in rural Iowa who drive over an hour to see their OB/GYN or visit the nearest maternal ward or hospital and struggle to receive the quality care they need throughout their pregnancy. Ensuring expecting women have access to high-quality maternal care, regardless of their ZIP Code or their income level, is critical to preventing stillbirths and improving outcomes for both moms and babies.

Congress must use every tool at our disposable to end stillbirth and support stillbirth prevention, awareness, and research. That is why we are here today.

My bipartisan Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act would finally dedicate funds toward stillbirth prevention and research, saving the lives of mothers and babies.

Throughout my work on this legislation, I have had the opportunity to sit down with stillbirth prevention advocates who have turned their pain into passion. These brave women are on a mission to ensure that no mother, father, or family ever endures the tragedy of stillbirth again. They are truly some of the strongest women I have ever met.

I have been honored to fight alongside them to bring this vital legislation across the finish line, as well as with my co-lead on the bill, Congresswoman Alma Adams. She has long fought to improve stillbirth prevention, and I am proud of the work that we have done together in a bipartisan manner to support expecting moms from Iowa to North Carolina and across the country.

Additionally, this bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by dozens of women's health, public health, and medical provider associations, and it has been passed by the Senate already in a similar form by unanimous consent.

I was blessed to be able to spend Mother's Day with my two sons over the weekend, but my heart continues to ache for the women who were mourning the loss of a child they never got to meet. I hope my colleagues join me in bringing more wonderful babies and healthy pregnancies into this world by supporting this bill.

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