Volunteers gathered at the annual March for Babies walk in DTLA on Saturday, where families work to raise awareness and support for mothers and newborns facing.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the "Momnibus" Act into law on Monday to address racial disparities in maternal and infant health, a victory for families of color.
iStock/PeopleImages(LOS ANGELES) California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the "Momnibus Act" into law on Monday to address racial disparities in maternal and infant health, a victory especially for families of color. The law will create a fund to grow and diversify the midwifery workforce, extend California's Medicaid coverage for doulas trained professionals who support mothers through pregnancies and extend Medicaid eligibility for mothers experiencing postpartum depression from two to 12 months. The law is part of a sweeping effort to change stark numbers in the state. Black women in California are four to six times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than white women, according to data from 2014 to 2016 compiled by the California Department of Public Health. Nationally, Black and American Indian women are two to three more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared with white women, according to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention r