[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7271]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     MAXIMIZING OPTIMAL MATERNITY SERVICES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to challenge my colleagues to 
make optimal maternity outcomes a priority in our country.
  Tragically, childbirth in this wealthiest of nations has 
significantly greater risks for mothers and babies when compared to 
almost all other developed nations.
  In the U.S., more than two women die every day from pregnancy-related 
causes, and more than one-third of all women who give birth experience 
some type of complication with an adverse effect on their health. These 
tragedies are most often found in communities of color.
  Regrettably, mothers aren't the only victims of our maternity care 
system. Sadly, out of every 1,000 babies born in the United States, 
nearly seven babies die. Particularly disturbing is that since 1991, 
premature birth--the leading cause of low birth rate and infant 
mortality--has actually increased in our country by more than 30 
percent. Adding to this concern is that the U.S. spends more than 
double of any country in the world on maternity care and still ranks 
far behind most developed countries in maternal and infant outcomes. 
Clearly, something must be done to protect mothers and babies.
  While it is important to continue studying the causes, we already 
know many factors that contribute to poor birth outcomes and to high 
costs. One well-established factor is that current U.S. medical 
practice does not follow the vast body of research that exists on the 
best evidence-based maternity care. This includes the research of 
credible studies showing that multiple noninvasive maternity practices 
can produce considerable improvement in birth outcomes without 
detrimental side effects to mother or baby.
  Two examples of these noninvasive and relatively simple practices 
significantly underused during pregnancy are group models of prenatal 
care and smoking cessation programs. Unfortunately, the U.S. also has a 
widespread overuse of Cesarean sections and scheduled inductions. The 
overuse of these practices, which are beneficial only in limited 
situations, has been associated with complications that jeopardize the 
health of mother and baby and with longer hospital stays and multiple 
costly procedures.
  These tragically poor childbirth outcomes and high costs must no 
longer be tolerated in our country. Therefore, this week I am 
introducing the Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st 
Century Act, better known as the MOMS Act. This bill will create a 
coordinating committee to ensure that Federal agencies are on the same 
page in promoting the best evidence-based maternity practices in their 
programs. And it will facilitate across maternity professions 
collaboration in the education of a diverse maternity care workforce. 
In addition, the MOMS Act authorizes grant programs for professional 
organizations to recruit and retain minority maternity care providers.
  The MOMS Act also establishes an online database to make available 
the best evidence-based maternity care information to women and 
families, and it authorizes a consumer education campaign focused on 
how to achieve the healthiest maternity outcomes.
  The MOMS for the 21st Century Act further expands research on the 
best maternity practices and on the identification of the geographic 
areas that lack adequate maternity health care providers.
  Mr. Speaker, we can and must do better for our mothers and newborns. 
As a country, we must reach beyond our self-imposed boundaries and 
embrace a cost-effective, evidence-based model of maternity care that 
reflects our values and saves the lives of mothers and babies.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort by cosponsoring and 
helping to pass the MOMS for the 21st Century Act.

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