The United States spends significantly more on childbirth than any other industrialized country, but ranks far behind almost all developed countries in healthy child birth results for both mothers and babies. To address this national tragedy, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) introduced the Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century Act which places a national focus on evidence-based maternity care practices to help achieve the best possible maternity outcomes for mothers and babies.

“Despite the vast body of knowledge regarding best evidence-based maternity care, current maternity practice does not follow that research.  For example, the widespread over-use of maternity procedures including Cesarean sections and scheduled inductions, which credible evidence tells us are beneficial only in limited situations, has resulted in longer maternity hospital stays and multiple costly procedures,”  Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard said.  “And sadly, despite our exorbitant expenditures on maternity care, childbirth continues to carry significant risks for mothers and babies, especially in communities of color.”  

The legislation is also directed at addressing the explosive costs of maternity care.  

“As Congress continues to debate how best to address our national debt problem, one thing Democrats and Republicans agree on is that addressing our national health care expenditures is a critical part of the solution.  A major component of escalating health care costs in this country is maternity care.  The MOMS for the 21st Century Act will make key reforms to improve the health and well-being of mothers and their babies in our country while bringing down maternity care costs,” Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard said.

The Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century Act (HR 2141) creates a national focus on maternity care by establishing an Interagency Coordinating Committee charged with promoting the best evidence-based maternity practices across all federal programs.  The legislation authorizes a public awareness media campaign to educate consumers about how to achieve the healthiest results for mothers and babies.  The legislation expands federal research on best maternity practices, and authorizes data collection to pinpoint specific geographic areas of the country that lack maternity care providers.

Finally, the measure puts in place a concerted effort to create a more culturally diverse and interdisciplinary maternity care workforce. It establishes loan repayment programs for providers in maternity care shortage areas.  It authorizes grant programs for maternity professional organizations to recruit and retain minority providers.  It also calls for the development of core curricula across maternity professional disciplines that would promote physiologic childbirth and healthier outcomes.   

Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Task Force on Health and a co-founder of the Congressional Study Group on Public Health, the congresswoman is a committed advocate on behalf of the health and wellbeing of mothers, infants and children.  In recognition of her efforts, the congresswoman has been honored by the March of Dimes and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs.  Both awards recognize the congresswoman’s authorship of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, which was signed into law in 2008.  Enactment of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act established national newborn screening guidelines intended to make comprehensive newborn screening widely available throughout the country.