Utah has the highest birth rate in the United States: 14.9 per 1,000. Utah has the largest average household size in the country, and Utah is the youngest state with a median age of 30.7 years. Addressing maternity health, which includes mental health, is, therefore, extremely important in Utah communities. Depression and anxiety are the most common complications of childbirth. 

Unfortunately, maternal mortality in the United States exceeds other developed countries, and that is unacceptable. Pregnancy-associated deaths can also include accidental overdoses from opioids postpartum. The crisis is most severe for Black moms, who are dying at three to four times the rate of their white counterparts. Native Americans are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. Other research has shown that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have higher rates of maternal mortality during hospitalization for delivery, even after accounting for other factors that can affect outcomes.

Darlene will make sure Utah moms have the resources they need to safely deliver their babies while tending to the well-being and care of mothers.

Original source can be found here.