The number of pregnant women forced to travel long distances for childbirth or go without prenatal care is on the rise. According to a report by March of Dimes published on Tuesday, over a third of U.S. counties (35.1%) are now classified as “maternity care deserts,” lacking any doctors, nurses, midwives, or medical centers specializing in maternity care.

In 2022, more than 2.3 million women of childbearing age resided in these counties, an increase from 2.2 million in 2020. The number of babies born in these areas also grew, from 146,000 to over 150,000.

“This problem is worsening,” said Ashley Stoneburner, the lead author of the report and director of applied research and analytics at the March of Dimes.

The increase in maternity care deserts partly stems from the ongoing closure of hospital obstetric units. The report highlights that about 1 in 25 hospital maternity wards closed between 2021 and 2022.

“Hospitals are struggling financially, and obstetric units are often the first to be shut down,” Stoneburner explained. “We encounter this issue daily.” Furthermore, the National Center for Health Statistics reported a 5% increase in the number of women without prenatal care from 2022 to 2023.

The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade appears to be exacerbating the situation. A July report from the Commonwealth Fund revealed that women in states with strict abortion laws are finding it increasingly difficult to access OB-GYN services. Earlier surveys indicated that these restrictive policies are driving obstetricians and gynecologists out of these states.

“There’s been a significant exodus of specialists,” noted Dr. Tracey Wilkinson, an associate professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. She described the March of Dimes report as “alarming” and a clear indicator that the situation is deteriorating.

The Midwest and Southeast, regions with some of the most stringent abortion laws, are home to the highest percentages of maternity care deserts. States such as Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas have up to three-quarters of their counties without obstetric care.

The report also revealed that women in these maternity care deserts face a 13% higher risk of preterm birth, consistent with previous studies linking these areas to elevated maternal and infant mortality rates.

Alaska, Hawaii, and Montana were identified as the states where pregnant women must travel the farthest to receive maternity care.