A collaboration led by Wayne State University’s Office of Women’s Health is launching SOS Motherhood, a statewide network seeking to end preventable causes of death in mothers and children in Michigan.
The state of Michigan has allocated $11 million to fund the statewide network established to address some alarming statistics, according to a news report on the Wayne State University College of Medicine website. The project includes 14 maternal-fetal medicine universities and health systems across the state.
In November 2023, the March of Dimes assigned the state of Michigan a failing grade of D+ for its efforts to safeguard the health and lives of pregnant women and babies. Here are some key statistics:
• Premature birth rate: Michigan’s 2023 premature birth rate was 10.4%, significantly higher than any other developed nation.
• Maternal Mortality: In 2022, nearly 100 mothers died from childbirth-related complications, a 30% increase over the past five years.
• Infant Mortality Rate: In 2021, Michigan’s infant mortality rate stood at 6.2 per 1,000 live births, substantially above the national average.
Fortunately, those interested say, there are measures that can be taken to reduce pregnancy complications by more than 40%. The network will focus on ensuring that all pregnant mothers in Michigan have access to the best care possible.
“The SOS Maternity Network has created a statewide network of Michigan’s best universities and healthcare systems to wage war on our terrible maternal and infant mortality rates,” said Sonia Hassan, MD, associate vice president of Women’s Health. and founder of the Wayne State University Office. of Women’s Health, in a statement. “Through this initiative, we seek to standardize best practices among Michigan physicians, increase pregnant mothers’ access to prenatal care, and create support systems so pregnant mothers have the healthiest pregnancy possible.”
To educate expectant mothers across the state on steps that promote healthier pregnancies, SOS Maternity Network will host community events featuring opinions from medical experts, as well as family activities, raffle prizes and light refreshments. The first event is scheduled for October 28, from 1 to 4 pm, at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit.
Additionally, SOS Maternidad invites attendees to learn more about their partnership with Lyft to ensure pregnant women have access to free rides to and from appointments, as transportation remains one of the biggest barriers to attending medical appointments. prenatal.
The roots of the network were formed in May 2020 as the Southern Michigan Regional COVID-19 Collaborative, a coalition of 14 healthcare institutions serving communities across the state in Maternal Medicine Obstetrics Research Collaborative. largest fetal in Michigan. The network collected data on more than 1,400 women and reported maternal-fetal health outcomes demonstrating higher rates of preterm birth, preeclampsia, and health disparities in pregnant women with COVID-19.
Health care leaders reconfigured the group into the Synergy Network of Scholars for Maternal and Child Health Equity in Michigan, or SOS Maternity in Michigan, to further research and implement evidence-based practices to improve health disparities maternal and child throughout the state. The network’s institutions are responsible for more than 50,000 births annually in Michigan.
Organizations participating in the network include:
• Corewell Health East (Royal Oak)
• Corewell Health East (Dearborn)
• Corewell Health West (Grand Rapids)
• Detroit Medical Center
• Health of Henry Ford
•Hurley Hospital
• Hutzel Women’s Health Specialists
• Michigan State University
• Oakland University
• Sparrow – University of Michigan
• Trinity Health Ann Arbor
• University of Michigan
• Cheers Wayne
• Wayne State University
