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GA HR1239
Resolution
Status
Passed
2/22/2024
Primary Sponsor
Park Cannon
Click for details
AI Summary
- Recognizes March 14 as Black Midwives Day in the State of Georgia, honoring the legacy of Black Granny Midwives who were historically central to birthing care in southern communities
- Midwifery-attended births rose from 9.6% in 2016 to 11.9% in 2021, with increased midwifery-led care estimated to potentially decrease stillbirths by 26%, maternal deaths by 41%, and neonatal deaths by 39%
- Granny Midwives attended more than two-thirds of Black births in eight southern states, including Georgia, which had 3,000 registered midwives in 1930 before numbers significantly declined
- The 1921 Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Protection Act imposed training and licensing requirements that created barriers for Black midwives, contributing to their decline in practice
- Black women currently represent only 7% of the Certified Midwife and Certified Nurse Midwife workforce in the United States despite being critical to improving maternal and infant health outcomes in the Black community
Legislative Description
Black Midwives Day in the State of Georgia; March 14, 2024; recognize
Last Action
House Read and Adopted
2/22/2024
Full Bill Text
No bill text available