Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee are among the worst states to have a baby as the maternal and infant health crises grows
As the maternal health crisis continues around the nation, Arkansas has one of the worst maternal and infant death rates. Over the past several years, expectant mothers at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock have come in to deliver with high-risk pregnancies. In 2021, the state recorded the second-highest infant mortality rate in the country with 8.59 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the CDC. Mississippi had the highest rates, at 9.39 deaths per 1,000 live births that same year. Nationally, the rate was 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. Arkansas hospitals have unfortunately been closing over the past few years because they have become unprofitable, leaving new mothers little choice but to drive over an hour at times to have their babies.