Hospitals say they found a tool to help reduce childbirth risks: wristbands - CNN

Hospitals across the U.S. are distributing silicone wristbands stamped "I Gave Birth" to help reduce maternal deaths and complications, giving mothers and care providers a visual reminder of life-threatening postpartum health risks.

The initiative was first launched by North Carolina-based ECU Health during the covid pandemic; since 2021, nearly 50 North Carolina hospitals and the state health department have distributed the bands, with Connecticut's health department and health systems in Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and at least 24 other states also participating.

The wristbands aim to alert emergency workers to postpartum risks in a country where nearly 70% of pregnancy-related deaths occur after delivery day, and nearly 40% happen after the six-week mark.

North Carolina plans to expand the program this year using part of the $213 million it received through the Rural Health Transformation Program under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1).

Maternal health experts, including Dr. Tamika Auguste of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists Foundation, praised the wristbands for raising awareness but stressed they are only one piece of what's needed to address the broader crisis.

Advocates warn the campaign is gaining ground even as Trump's 2025 law is projected to cut Medicaid spending by more than $900 billion over 10 years, threatening postpartum coverage extensions from 60 days to a year that states adopted after 2022, in a program that funds at least 40% of U.S. births.