Maternal Child Health

A cesarean section can be a life-saving procedure for both mother and infant in situations involving complications during pregnancy or labor that require early or immediate delivery. The rate of cesarean delivery in NM was lower than the US rate during 1995-2017. The US c-section rate increased 58% from 1995 to 2009 and has declined 2.4% since 2012, while the New Mexico rate increased 48% from 1998 to 2017.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of poor birth outcomes including miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight infant and birth defects of the mouth and lip.

Preterm birth is the birth of an infant prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death, and is associated with birth defects and long-term health and developmental problems including lung disease, cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, and vision and hearing problems.