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Health issues facing mothers and children in Mississippi

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Data Dive: Health issues facing mothers and children in Mississippi

A number of challenges continue to burden the mothers and children of Mississippi, especially after the landmark decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed Mississippi’s abortion trigger law to go into effect, banning abortion in nearly all cases.

In the wake of Roe’s overturning, advocates and activists have put even more pressure on state leaders to help rectify problems such as postpartum Medicaid expansion, overall access to health care, infant mortality and more.

On Sept. 27, the Senate Study Group on Women, Children and Families, a committee created by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, held the first of a series of hearings to ascertain the breadth of these issues.

As reported by Senior Political Reporter Geoff Pender, “46% of Mississippi children are in single-parent homes. One in five children experienced hunger in the last year. Nine out of 1,000 babies in Mississippi die. In the rural Delta, there are 4,000 children for every one pediatrician — statewide that number drops only to 2,000 per — and many counties have no OB/GYN. Many mothers do not receive proper prenatal or postpartum care. Mississippi has alarming rates of premature, low-weight babies being born.”

READ MORE: ‘We’re 50th by a mile.’ Experts tell lawmakers where Mississippi stands with health of mothers, children

Organizations representing Black women have criticized the Senate committee for the lack of members who are Black women, with only one out of nine members.

“Black women and babies experience a disproportionate share of the state’s highest-in-the-nation rates of stillbirth, low birth weight, and infant mortality,” writes Pender.

“What we’re asking for here is just a right to life,” said Angela Grayson, lead organizer for Black Women Vote Coalition and advocacy and outreach coordinator for The Lighthouse. “The data is here. The data shows that [extending postpartum Medicaid coverage] is good legislation and that that is what we need here in Mississippi for Black women to be able to go through the childbirth experience and not have the unnecessary burdens of inadequate health care.”

Community Health Reporter Isabelle Taft reports that according to the latest data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Mississippi remains the deadliest state for babies.

In the United States as a whole, 5.42 per 1,000 live births died before their first birthday. In Mississippi, those figures only continue to rise — 5.7 among white infants, 8.12 statewide and 11.8 among Black infants.

And among the leading causes of infant mortality, while birth defects lead the nation, Mississippi infants mostly face premature birth — the highest rate in the country, pregnancy and delivery complications, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.

READ MORE: Mississippi remains deadliest state for babies, CDC data shows

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Mississippi invests more than $110 million toward economic development

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www.wjtv.com – Cameron Smith – 2024-11-13 14:43:00

SUMMARY: Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi announced an investment exceeding $110 million aimed at enhancing economic development, infrastructure, workforce training, tourism, and conservation across the state. The funding will be allocated through various programs including the Mississippi Development Authority and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Key projects include site developments in multiple industrial parks, upgrading wastewater systems, and enhancing training facilities. Reeves emphasized that these investments are critical to sustaining the state’s economic growth and creating high-paying job opportunities for residents. The comprehensive financial support also includes grants for educational improvements and infrastructure enhancements statewide.

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Mississippi News

Former Mississippi community college honor society advisor pleads guilty to embezzlement

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www.wjtv.com – Kristopher White – 2024-11-13 12:28:00

SUMMARY: Robin Lowe, a former advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa honor society at Itawamba Community College in Mississippi, pleaded guilty to embezzlement. She misappropriated funds intended for the honor society for her personal use. Following her prosecution in Itawamba County Circuit Court, Lowe received a sentence of 20 years in prison, with 19 years suspended. Additionally, she was ordered to complete one year in an Intensive Supervision Program and pay $1,511.50 in fines. This case highlights issues of financial misconduct within educational institutions.

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Mississippi News

Lights being installed along Highway 18 in Jackson

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www.wjtv.com – Cameron Smith – 2024-11-13 11:18:00

SUMMARY: Crews in Jackson, Mississippi, are installing new lights along Highway 18 between Thousand Oaks Drive and TV Road. Councilman Brian Grizzell expressed excitement over the project, which has been planned for several years and funded using Grand Gulf Evacuation funds. With an annual income of about $2 million from these funds, Grizzell emphasized that increased lighting will improve safety for pedestrians and drivers, reduce accidents, and make the area more attractive for business. The councilman anticipates that this section of the highway will be fully illuminated by the end of 2024.

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