Overview

South Carolina continues to have poor maternal and infant health outcomes, currently ranking 32nd of 40 for maternal mortality⁽ⁱ⁾ and 40th of 52 for infant mortality⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ when compared to other states. According to March of Dimes, South Carolina received a score of F for preterm births.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ These numbers do not reflect the significant amount of attention and resources that providers, funders, and advocates have devoted to this issue in recent years as South Carolina’s maternal mortality rates have risen^(iv) to double the national average.^(v)

References

(i) South Carolina maternal morbidity and Mortality Review Committee – SCDHEC. (2024, February). https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/Library/CR-013357.pdf.

(ii) Elflein, J. (2024, May 22). Infant mortality rate by state U.S. 2021. Statista – U.S. Infant Mortality Rate by State 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/252064/us-infant-mortality-rate-by-ethnicity-2011/.

(iii) 2024 March of Dimes Report Card for South Carolina. March of Dimes | PeriStats. (n.d.). https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/reports/south-carolina/report-card.

(iv) South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. (2023, April 23). Latest South Carolina Infant, Maternal Mortality Reports Reveal Alarming Trends [News Release]. https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/latest-south-carolina-infant-maternal-mortality-reports-reveal-alarming-trends.

(v) Corwin, T. (2023, April 23). Black infant deaths are up 40 percent in South Carolina. Moms are at risk, too. The Post and Courier. https://www.postandcourier.com/health/black-infant-deaths-are-up-40-percent-in-south-carolina-moms-are-at-risk-too/article_6a466dba-d954-11ed-9acc-5bf2cc7af548.html.