How state laws affect mothers' and babies' survival
State-level Variation in Maternal Mortality
This project looks at how changes in state reproductive health laws relate to deaths and serious pregnancy harms among pregnant people and infants across the United States.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11222986 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are building a national, year-by-year database that links state reproductive health policies to maternal and infant deaths and other pregnancy-related harms going back roughly 16 years. They will combine vital statistics, cause-of-death data, and policy timelines to compare trends before and after policy changes in each state. The team will analyze pregnancy-associated homicide, suicide, drug overdose, infant mortality, preterm birth, and racial and socioeconomic disparities. The goal is to show whether and how changes in state policy are tied to population-level increases or decreases in these harms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The populations examined are people who were pregnant or gave birth in the United States during the study period, especially those living in states that enacted major reproductive policy changes.
Not a fit: People outside the U.S., those without pregnancy-related outcomes during the study years, or individuals seeking immediate clinical care are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could pinpoint policy-related drivers of maternal and infant deaths so policymakers and communities can target changes to reduce deaths and disparities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked some state policies to maternal and infant outcomes, but this large national, longitudinal linkage of policy timelines to pregnancy-associated violent and drug-related deaths is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Tucson, United States
- University of Arizona — Tucson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wallace, Maeve E — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Wallace, Maeve E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.