(The Center Square) – A new effort launched by the California surgeon general aims to help new and expectant mothers improve their health while pregnant and after giving birth.
Two new programs, which are expected to launch this month or in the new year, are part of a larger goal to reduce maternal mortality rates by 50% statewide by December 2026, according to the Office of the California Surgeon General.
The program that aims to reduce the number of deaths of new mothers, Strong Start & Beyond, consists of three initiatives. These include the Preconception Medical Assessment survey, or PreMa, which is an eight-question quiz for expectant mothers to help them understand their health history and reduce maternal mortality rates. That survey is live now.
Strong Start & Beyond also includes two other components, including a grassroots-style social media initiative the California Surgeon General’s Office is launching in January called “One Small Thing,” which encourages those who know a new mother to do one small thing to help her after having a baby. This can include doing laundry, babysitting or bringing a meal, according to the surgeon general’s office.
Another component of the Strong Start & Beyond program includes a third component, which launched in October that made new resources available to families to understand how Adverse Childhood Experiences affect adult and maternal health. Those resources include information about ACES in youth, ACES in reproductive health care and a video about setting the trajectory for a healthier pregnancy, according to the Office of the California Surgeon General.
“The best investment to ensure the health of a newborn is to ensure the health of the mother,” said California Surgeon General Dr. Diana E. Ramos in a recent press release. “By leveraging powerful partnerships and pioneering cutting-edge solutions, together we can help California mothers, pregnant people, and newborns have a strong start and healthy future.”
A report released by the surgeon general’s office in September identifies abuse, neglect, substance use, mental illness, intimate partner violence and incarceration as adverse childhood experiences. The office said experiencing any of these issues as a child can have health effects when starting one’s own family, according to the Office of the Surgeon General.
“The reproductive years – before, during, and after pregnancy – provide a critical window to disrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma and promote long-term well-being,” the report reads. “Supporting individuals during this time can improve maternal and infant health, strengthen family stability, and lay the foundation for healthier communities.”
Maternal mortality rates in 2023, the most recent year numbers were available, dropped at least marginally across the board, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those numbers dropped significantly for white women and for Hispanic women, and minimally for Black and Asian women, the report found. However, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 50.3 deaths for 100,000 live births, significantly higher than the 14.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for white women, 12.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for Hispanic women and 10.7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for Asian women.
“As both an OB/GYN and a mother, I understand how important it is for mothers and those expecting to have access to health options and resources,” state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, D-San Diego and a doctor who worked as an OB/GYN, told The Center Square in an emailed statement. “The PreMA questionnaire is a practical tool that can help identify potential risks before pregnancy and improve maternal health outcomes. I also look forward to seeing what the One Small Thing initiative entails once it is officially launched, as encouraging small, doable steps toward better health is an important way to support mothers and families across California.”
Other Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature, as well as Republicans in the Assembly and Senate, did not respond to requests for comment from The Center Square on Tuesday or declined to comment.
The Department of Health Care Services, the California Department of Public Health, the California Health & Human Services Agency, the Department of Health Care Access and Information, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the Office of the Surgeon General declined to comment or were unavailable to answer questions on Tuesday.
