Maternal mortality varies sevenfold across the US, report finds

An analysis incorporating 60 different measures of health—ranging from infant and maternal mortality rates to access to neighborhood amenities, such as playgrounds, libraries, and community centers—has found that the health of women, children, and infants in the US varies greatly from state to state and between racial and ethnic groups.

The study, America’s Health Rankings Health of Women and Children Report 2016, prepared by the non-profit United Health Foundation, found that, overall, states in the northeastern US were the healthiest for women, children, and infants, with Massachusetts being ranked first in the nation followed by three other New England states (Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut) and the midwestern state of Minnesota. …