A new report from Metriarch exposes a critical gap between evidence-based care and punitive policies affecting pregnant Oklahomans with substance use disorder (SUD).

Despite consensus among researchers and healthcare providers that non-judgmental, timely care improves outcomes for mothers and babies, Oklahoma is moving in the opposite direction. The state’s maternal and infant health metrics reflect this failure: 11% of births were preterm in 2023, rising to 18% among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander mothers and 15% among Black mothers. Infant mortality increased from 5.9 to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2020 and 2023.

Most alarmingly, pregnancy -related criminal charges against women are surging. Of 227 identified cases since 2006, 114 have occurred after June 2

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