Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Jan. 8 signed a law that aims to address maternal care and infant mortality — in part by making it easier for women to get nutrition assistance.
The new law, HB7, requires the Ohio Department of Health to investigate federal services and tools available that could improve access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
It also requires the Ohio Department of Health to submit quarterly reports of its findings to the General Assembly for two years, detailing its plans to improve WIC access, as well as a separate, overall report detailing its findings.
Though access to maternal health care is widely available in Northeast Ohio, infant mortality rates remain high compared to national numbers. In Cuyahoga County, the rate is 8.8 deaths per 1,000 live births with 63% of deaths involving Black infants, compared to the national rate of 5.6, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nearly 48% of Ohio women and children who qualify for WIC do not participate, according to Rep. Andrea White, and participation has declined in recent years.
One of the biggest barriers to using WIC and its benefits became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Tara Britton, director of public policy and advocacy for the Cleveland-based Center for Community Solutions, which lobbied for HB7.
WIC beneficiaries have to physically visit agencies to receive their benefits each month, which can be difficult for those without transportation or who are limited by work hours or health concerns, Britton said.
"You can imagine in a pandemic where we were social distancing, that is a challenge," Britton said. "There were some accommodations made, but not enough... A lot of folks lost coverage in WIC or lost out on those benefits because they couldn't get there in person to reload their benefits."
Some of the in-person requirements for WIC beneficiaries are in place to check in on progress and connect recipients with health and nutrition resources. But the monthly visits pose a challenge for those without their own transportation, Britton said.
"Is it worth it to stay engaged in the program when you may not have access to a car, you may not have access to reliable or consistent transportation, it might not work with your work hours. All of those things are definitely factors in the declining enrollment," she said.
The recent baby formula shortage also exposed issues with the current WIC system. Beneficiaries can use their cards only to purchase a specific, prescribed type of baby formula based on their child's nutritional needs.
If the store is sold out of that formula, mothers are unable to purchase other brands or substitutes, Britton said.
WIC enrollment leads to healthier babies
Studies have shown that mothers who participate in WIC are more likely to give birth to healthy babies, lowering the risk of infant mortality. One recent study found the infant mortality rate was 5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births among those who received WIC benefits compared to 8.2 deaths among those who did not — a 37% reduction, according to the Children's Defense Fund.
Ohio's infant mortality rate remains among the highest in the U.S. According to 2022 data — the most recent year available from the CDC — Black infants in Ohio were more than twice as likely to die than white infants. Data show 5.7 white infants in Ohio died per every 1,000 births, while 13.4 Black infants died.
Cleveland follows a similar pattern to statewide trends. The infant mortality rate for Black babies in Cleveland is more than double the rate for white babies, with 15.4 deaths per 1,000 live births for Black infants versus 6.9 deaths per 1,000 for white infants, according to Case Western Reserve University.
A 2010 study also determined that WIC usage significantly lowered infant mortality for Black participants.
