Louisiana’s maternal care system is in crisis, according to a new report from the Tulane University Newcomb Institute. The report found that nearly half of Louisiana’s parishes are considered “care deserts” for maternal or obstetric care, meaning they have no access to these services within the parish.
About one-third of Louisiana’s 64 parishes have zero maternal care clinics, and about half have no obstetric physicians. The report classifies another fifth of parishes as “low access” for maternal and obstetric care, meaning there was only one associated hospital or clinic offering care.
Half of Louisiana’s parishes have full access to maternal care, and one-third have full access to obstetric care, meaning at least two hospitals or clinics provide those services.
For residents in care deserts, this often means traveling hours for prenatal visits or delivery care, which can delay treatment and increase the risk of complications. In emergencies, these distances can be life-threatening, particularly in rural areas with limited transportation options.
Vinita Mahanti, the first author of the report, is a recent Tulane graduate who now works as a data analyst for the Newcomb Institute. She started working on the report as an undergraduate student intern in the fall of 2025 and published it this month.
Maternal healthcare is particularly important to Mahanti, as a close family member had an ectopic pregnancy.
“By the time she received care, her fallopian tube had ruptured. If she lived in a care desert where the nearest obstetric physician was a 3-hour drive away, she believes that she would have died,” Mahanti said.
Despite the grim reality of maternal and obstetric care in Louisiana, Mahanti said there are many solutions to improve access, such as expanding telehealth policies to improve immediate maternal health access.
She added that increasing midwifery and obstetric nursing services may provide a more affordable option in rural areas. At the same time, broader changes like expanded insurance coverage, paid leave and culturally competent care are also essential.
“Maternity care deserts are not just an inconvenience; they can be deadly,” Mahanti said.
Gaps in women’s healthcare mean pregnant women and infants in underserved parishes experience worse health outcomes. According to the Newcomb report, these disparities are uneven across race, geography and socioeconomic status.
The Newcomb report found that although there is not a strong correlation between care access and race, Black and Hispanic women are still more likely to have adverse maternal health outcomes than white women.
Additionally, Black women experience higher rates of maternal mortality and adverse birth outcomes compared to white women, while Hispanic women are at a higher risk for severe maternal morbidity.
Louisiana has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the nation. A 2020 review by the Louisiana Department of Health found that 93% of pregnancy-related deaths in the state were potentially preventable. Infant outcomes are similarly poor, with Louisiana ranking fifth in infant mortality and second in low birth weight nationally.
The Newcomb report also found that population density was a major predictor of maternal and obstetric care deserts. Areas with the lowest population densities, like rural areas in northeastern and central Louisiana, also had some of the lowest rates of access. Parishes with fewer than 67 people per square mile had the highest rates of care deserts, with 50% classified as maternity care deserts and 66% as obstetric care deserts.
Compared with a 2022 report by the March of Dimes, the Newcomb report suggests that the availability of care has declined statewide. But access to care facilities alone does not explain these declines.
Even in areas where services exist, barriers such as affordability, transportation and gaps in insurance coverage can limit consistent care. The report notes that a clinic or provider in the area does not mean that “appointment availability, scope of services, quality of care or accessibility for patients” will be adequate to meet healthcare needs.