Testimony to the House Public Health Committee Interim Hearing on Birth Outcomes
The next generation of honor roll students, successful entrepreneurs, and community leaders starts with healthy mothers, healthy pregnancies, and healthy birth outcomes. Texas has made progress reducing infant death and preterm births, but far too many women experience barriers to care that negatively affect pregnancy and birth and the state continues to see high rates of premature and low-birth weight babies. Texas can take steps to ensure healthier, stronger babies are born across the state by improving access to preconception, prenatal, and postpartum care; continuing to invest in evidence-based home visiting programs that support moms and babies during and after pregnancy; and streamline Medicaid eligibility and enrollment and leverage existing outreach and education efforts to target eligible but uninsured pregnant women during their first trimester of pregnancy.