Birth Equity Resources
Below are recent articles and reports to help inform a persons understanding of the birth equity landscape in Massachusetts.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND POPULATION TRENDS:
The State of Massachusetts’s Babies (ZERO TO THREE, 2026)
Boston By the Numbers 2025 (City of Boston, 2025)
Early Childhood Poverty: A Lasting Impact on Babies’ Health and Development (ZERO TO THREE, 2026)
Maternal Morbidity and Mortality (Boston Indicators, 2024)
Health of Boston: The Maternal and Infant Health Report (Boston Public Health Commission, 2023)
DIRECT SERVICES:
Freestanding Birth Centers: An Evidence-Based Option for Birth (Alliman, J. et al, The Journal of Perinatal Education, 2022)
National League of Cities Highlights Boston (City of Boston, 2025)
HealthySteps: The Evidence Base (ZERO TO THREE)
SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE:
2026 Opportunity Boston Cradle to Career Outcomes Report (Boston Opportunity Agenda, 2026)
Integrating Social Emotional Wellness in Primary Care for Children Birth to Five in Massachusetts (MA Department of Public Health, 2026)
PFML Fact Sheet (MA Department of Public Health, 2026)
Improving Social Support for Equitable Maternal Health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Women and Health Initiative, and Ariadne Labs, 2022)
Investing in Our Future: Critical Ways Philanthropy Can Help Every Young Child and Family Thrive (Bridgespan, 2026)
Improving Social Support for Equitable Maternal Health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Women and Health Initiative, and Ariadne Labs, 2022)
POLICY ADVOCACY AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS:
Massachusetts’ only birth center is struggling to survive (Boston Globe, 2026)
One year after maternal health omnibus, supporters eye implementation, follow-up (Bay State Banner, 2025)
Maternal health bill passed on Beacon Hill could change the game ‘for generations’ (WGBH, 2024)
Embracing midwifery could change the state of maternal healthcare in Massachusetts (WBUR, 2024)
Inside the Fight to Bring Midwives Back to Massachusetts (The Nation, 2024)
Massachusetts Must Address Our Maternal Health Crisis (The Commonwealth Beacon, 2024)
What's at Stake: Latest Updates on the Baby Agenda (ZERO TO THREE, 2026)