New legislation would address climate change-related risks to pregnant and postpartum people and their infants
 
Research has found that climate change may be associated with risk to pregnancy outcomes
 
Washington (February 9, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) this week introduced legislation to address climate change-related risks to pregnant and postpartum people and their infants. The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act, which is a part of Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Lauren Underwood’s (IL-14) Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to end racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, would establish a grant program to invest in community-based programs to mitigate exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, extreme weather disasters, and other environmental threats related to the climate crisis that pose health risks to pregnant and postpartum patients. The legislation would also provide funding to health profession schools in an effort to prepare the future health care workforce to adequately address climate change-related risks for patients. Rep. Underwood has filed companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
 
“Climate change is threatening pregnant people and children across the country, with poor and Black mothers and children paying the highest price,” said Senator Markey. “Our legislation equips our health care workforce and families with the resources and tools they need to protect themselves against the risks of the climate crisis. Climate justice is racial and economic justice, and our mothers, babies, and communities need us to deliver on these basic rights. I thank Rep. Underwood for her partnership on this important legislation.”
 
“We know that climate change is literally making us sick, and the health effects of pollution and environmental toxins are particularly dangerous for birthing people and infants,” said Senator Booker. “The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act is an important step in addressing this critical issue of environmental and health justice and ensuring that pregnant people, new moms, and their infants are protected from the effects of climate change. I am also proud that this bill is a part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a comprehensive set of policies that will address the epidemic of maternal mortality in the United States.”
 
A copy of the legislation can be found HERE. 
 
The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act has been endorsed by more than 120 organizations, including the American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Nurses Association, Black Women's Health Imperative, Community Catalyst, League of Conservation Voters, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), National Health Law Program, National Women's Health Network, and Trust for America's Health.