Maternal mortality in Texas - where are the pro-life Christians?

Dallas Morning News echo opinion editorial:

Also ~  Why is US infant mortality rate so high?  Sad and preventable! The US is 167th out of 224 countries monitored for number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

Texas lawmakers talked a good game about addressing the disturbingly high number of women who die each year in this state from pregnancy-related complications.

But after two years of acknowledging that the state has to do more to prevent dozens of deaths annually, we’re stunned that our representatives closed this legislative session without taking meaningful action to keep more moms alive.

Medical experts, health care advocates and the state’s Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force backed a bipartisan bill that passed the Texas House that would have extended Medicaid coverage from the current 60 days postpartum to one year after a woman gives birth. It was the top recommendation from the task force after its investigation showed that most of the deaths occurred 61 days or more postpartum when most of the women have lost coverage — and most deaths were preventable. Shamefully, the bill didn’t even get a hearing in the Senate. 

Why study a problem for years, but then ignore an effective solution to fix it?  

Maine Writer  - In my opinion, this irresponsible hypocrisy is inexcusable and even sinful, because Texas Republicans are controlled by the pro-life anti-abortionists. Those crazy right wing nuts are obsessed with protecting the unborn, but they won't protect the health for mothers and babies, after they are born.About half of Texas’ 400,000 births each year are covered by Medicaid. We know that more prenatal care, more treatment for postpartum depression and more health screenings could save lives and make Texas babies healthier.

And task force research shows an appalling racial disparity of pregnancy-related deaths. The maternal mortality rate for black women in 2012 (studied because it was the year with the highest number of maternal deaths) was more than twice as high at 13.9 per 100,000 live births than the 6 for white women and 9.3 for Hispanic women.

They’re dying from such conditions as cardiac-related problems, infections, and suicide.

It’s even more alarming in the wake of a new national study from Georgetown University that put Texas dead last at 25.5 percent in the rate of uninsured women of childbearing age.

In a conference call with reporters, the researchers said when women abruptly lose health coverage so soon after giving birth, it can force them to abandon medication and other ongoing treatment they may need, including support for postpartum depression.

Gaps in coverage risk the lives of women and the health of their babies. States that have expanded Medicaid coverage have cut their maternal mortality rates in half.