An overview of maternal and infant health services in rural America.
Economically disadvantaged rural families, like their urban counterparts, face significant difficulties obtaining adequate maternity and infant health care resulting, in part, from an unequal distribution of resources as well as economic and racial barriers to health care nationwide. Rural women and infants must contend with additional access problems that reflect the inherent constraints of rural existence as well as specific state policies that exacerbate the barriers associated with isolation. This article provides an overview of the availability and accessibility of maternal and infant health services in nonmetropolitan America and identifies policy reforms to improve access to care.
D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000592:standards*; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States