As Michigan faces alarming maternal and infant mortality rates, a health care collaborative led by the Wayne State University’s Office of Women’s Health that includes 14 leading maternal-fetal medicine universities and health care systems across the state is launching SOS MATERNITY, a network seeking to end preventable causes of death in mothers and children. The state of Michigan has allocated $11 million to fund the first-of-its-kind statewide network.
Every two minutes, a woman dies of pregnancy or childbirth worldwide, and the latest statistics indicate that the infant mortality rate in Michigan is higher than the national rate of 5.6%. Fortunately, there are measures that can be taken to reduce complications of pregnancy by more than 40%. The network will focus on making sure every pregnant mother in Michigan has access to the best possible care.
To educate expectant mothers throughout the state on these easy steps promoting healthier pregnancies, the SOS MATERNITY Network will host community events featuring insights from medical experts, as well as family activities, raffle prizes and light refreshments. The first event is scheduled for Oct. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit.
Pregnant mothers are invited to join leaders from the state of Michigan, the major health systems and universities and experts for a conversation focusing on treatments and interventions to reduce pre-term birth and preeclampsia among Michigan’s vulnerable populations. Additionally, SOS MATERNITY invites attendees to learn more about its partnership with Lyft to ensure pregnant women have access to free rides to and from appointments, as transportation continues to be one of the leading hurdles to attending prenatal medical appointments.
“The SOS MATERNITY Network has created a statewide network of Michigan’s finest universities and health care systems to declare war on our terrible rates of maternal and infant mortality,” said Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate vice president of Women’s Health and founder of Wayne State University’s Office of Women’s Health. “Through this initiative, we seek to standardize best practices across Michigan physicians, increase access of pregnant moms to prenatal care, and create systems of support for pregnant moms to have the healthiest pregnancy possible.”
The roots of the network were formed in May 2020 as the Southern Michigan Regional COVID-19 Collaborative, a coalition of 14 health care institutions serving communities throughout the state in Michigan’s largest maternal-fetal medicine obstetrical research collaborative. The network collected data on more than 1,400 women and reported maternal-fetal health outcomes demonstrating higher rates of preterm birth, preeclampsia and health disparities in pregnant women with COVID-19.
The health care leaders reconfigured the group into the Synergy of Scholars for Maternal and Infant Health Equity in Michigan, or SOS MATERNITY in Michigan, Network to further investigate and implement evidence-based practices to improve maternal and infant health disparities across the state. Institutions in the network are responsible for more than 50,000 deliveries per year in Michigan.
Organizations participating in the SOS MATERNITY Network include:
• Corewell Health East (Royal Oak)
• Corewell Health East (Dearborn)
• Corewell Health West (Grand Rapids)
• Detroit Medical Center
• Henry Ford Health
• Hurley Hospital
• Hutzel Women’s Health Specialists
• Michigan State University
• Oakland University
• Sparrow – University of Michigan
• Trinity Health Ann Arbor
• University of Michigan
• Wayne Health
• Wayne State University
Visit the Office of Women’s Health website to learn more about the SOS MATERNITY program, and how to become an SOS mom.