Midwives Are Essential for Improving Mississippi’s Maternal and Infant Health

The Mississippi State Department of Health recently declared infant mortality a public health emergency. The state’s infant mortality rate — deaths within the first year of life — is not only the highest in the nation, it is also rising. Mississippi is an important case study for understanding how limited access to midwifery care represents both a reproductive ethics and reproductive justice issue that warrants urgent attention and discourse.

With 9.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, Mississippi’s 2024 infant mortality rate is at its highest in more than 10 years. There is a gaping disparity in outcomes: The mortality rate of Black infants is 1.57 times higher than the state average and more than double the rate of white, non-Hispanic babies (2.62) and Hispanic babies (2.41). In one year, Mississippi saw a 24% increase in Black infant mortality. An important marker of the overall health of a society, the rising infant mortality rate in Mississippi signals a broader national health crisis.

Actionable solutions are needed now. While the Mississippi health department’s press release offered several recommendations