Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Barclay Key

Abstract

Over the past few years, Arkansas has gained a spotlight due to an increase in maternal and infant mortality. This increase has been so massive that Arkansas has ranked within the top five in the nation for maternal and infant mortality rates for several years. A large percentage of the maternal and infant deaths in Arkansas are prevalent in the Black and rural communities. This is an issue that has plagued the state of Arkansas for over a hundred years, with mortality rates highly affecting the same demographic of people. How did the practice of midwifery become a remedy for the maternal and infant mortality rates of the past? Most Arkansas counties are labeled “maternity care deserts”. The March of Dimes defines maternity care deserts as counties without any hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care, and without any obstetric providers.

The recent statistics are overwhelming, yet the maternity care deserts are nothing new to the state of Arkansas. Most of the counties in rural Arkansas have always been what we now consider maternity care deserts. Mothers gave birth to healthy infants in these counties in the past, but most deliveries were at home with the assistance of a midwife. A midwife is a trained health professional who provides care during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and after childbirth. This care usually extends to six weeks postpartum and up to six weeks of infant care. The midwives throughout the state delivered almost all the infants in their area, an essential part of Arkansas’ history. Midwives on average delivered healthy babies to healthy mothers. At some point the practice was seen as a nuisance, leaving pregnant women and infants with few options for healthcare. There was a devolution that led to the attrition of Arkansas midwifery practices. It was a long and difficult fight to gain the right to legally practice midwifery in Arkansas, shaped by strict state regulations, physician resistance, and the gradual removal of traditional granny midwives from their communities. Midwives faced criminalization, and systemic barriers as they continued to serve women with limited access to care.

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