North Carolina Expands Postpartum Wristband Program With $213 Million as 70% of Maternal Deaths Follow Delivery
Updated
Updated · Kaiser Health News · Aug 12
North Carolina Expands Postpartum Wristband Program With $213 Million as 70% of Maternal Deaths Follow Delivery
2 articles · Updated · Kaiser Health News · Aug 12
Summary
Nearly 50 North Carolina hospitals have begun giving new mothers “I Gave Birth” wristbands since 2021, and the state now plans to expand the program using part of a $213 million rural health grant.
The bands are meant to flag postpartum status for patients, ER staff and first responders because nearly 70% of U.S. pregnancy-related deaths occur after delivery and almost 40% happen after six weeks.
ECU Health said the initiative cut postpartum readmissions by nearly a third at its Greenville medical center, but state officials and outside experts said the program’s broader impact on mortality still has not been conclusively studied.
The expansion comes as Trump’s 2025 law is projected to cut Medicaid by more than $900 billion over 10 years, threatening postpartum coverage that now supports at least 40% of U.S. births.
With 649 maternal deaths recorded nationwide in 2024 and more than 80% deemed preventable by the CDC, clinicians say wristbands may help awareness but cannot replace broader postpartum care and research.