Southern lawmakers say infant mortality rates could worsen with health care cuts

The infant mortality rate, a stat that tracks deaths of infants before their first birthdays, in many Southern states is higher than average for the U.S. — Mississippi’s health department even declared a state of emergency this year after the rate of infant deaths increased.

Lawmakers and medical experts say that health care spending cuts and restrictions on services could make things worse.

“These are states that historically have struggled both with infant mortality and maternal mortality,” Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock told NOTUS. “Medicaid is part of a safety net that impacts overall health. When that safety net is broken, things like infant mortality are impacted as well as chronic disease.”

Democrats warn that a confluence of factors could lead to fewer people accessing