Delaware sees a spike in injury and drug deaths for women, but better access to care

Molly McVety, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·3 min read

Women in Delaware face one of the biggest health care paradoxes in the nation, with maternity care ranking among the best in the nation while drug and injury deaths among women are escalating.

A report by the United Health Foundation, ranks Delaware as the 29th best state for women and children’s health care, providing insight into some of the changes in the state's health care landscape over the past few years.

This is the lowest ranking Delaware has had since the organization started publishing the reports in 2016.

Here are some of the takeaways.

Delaware's strengths

While the national state of health care for women and children may be struggling, Delaware excelled in some key areas.

Among women, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2020-2021 reports a low prevalence of chronic conditions like arthritis, asthma, diabetes and cancer. Cigarette smoking, a contributing factor to these conditions, decreased by 31% among women between 2018 and 2021.

CDC data also reported that excessive drinking (drinking four or more drinks on one occasion or more than eight per week) among women in Delaware is lower, currently just above 16% of women between ages 18 and 44.

Christiana Care Health System doctors and nurses complete a training session at the Virtual Education and Simulation Training Center. A patient, in this case a manikin, is hemorrhaging hours after giving birth.
Christiana Care Health System doctors and nurses complete a training session at the Virtual Education and Simulation Training Center. A patient, in this case a manikin, is hemorrhaging hours after giving birth.

Delaware's policies and hospital practices related to maternity care were ranked the best in the country. The report used data such as access to postpartum care, education related to breastfeeding and newborn care and general community outreach among health care facilities.

More: National 'Best Hospitals' rankings released: Which Delaware hospitals made the list?

Delaware was tied with seven other states for the most access to women's health care. Nationally, the number of maternity and women's health centers is declining, creating what the report deems as "maternity care deserts," which are linked to increased maternal and infant mortality.

Danielle Madril with the United Health Foundation explained that Delaware's ranking doesn't just have to do with the number of providers available, but also shows that women in the state are actively seeking out medical care.

Infant mortality in Delaware decreased 18% between 2016 and 2020, from 7.1 to 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. While this is still on the higher end of national rankings, the decrease is an indicator of improving conditions.

Delaware's challenges

Delaware's injury rate among women aged 20-44 increased by 42% between 2016 and 2021. This includes deaths from motor vehicle accidents, firearms, homicides and suicides, among other causes.

The "mind blowing" increase indicates to Madril that more behavioral health resources are needed in local communities.

The report also showed that Delaware has the second-highest drug death rate among women aged 20-44, at around 53 deaths per 100,000 females. According to data from the state Department of Health and Social Services, drug overdoses across Delaware's population continue to increase. This year has already seen 392 drug deaths as of Oct. 17.

More: Delaware announces effort to battle opioid crisis with upgraded prevention website

While health care providers for women are plentiful in Delaware, the number of pediatric practices decreased along with the number of children enrolled in early childhood education between 2019 and 2021. Madril explained that some of these trends could be directly linked to the pandemic-era shutdowns and an aging population of pediatric doctors.

There was also a low amount of governmental assistance for eligible children under 4, which has been linked to food insecurity and other health issues as the child ages.

Despite the high ranking given to Delaware for health care coverage, major barriers still exist, especially for the Black and Hispanic populations in Delaware.

More: Black babies in Delaware dying at much higher rate. How this grassroots group is helping.

According to 2020 data from the Division of Public Health, Delaware’s Black infant mortality rate is still three times higher than the white infant mortality rate. In Kent County, while the infant mortality rate decreased by 43% for white babies, it increased by 77% for Black babies.

What has your experience with the Delaware healthcare system been? Contact Molly McVety at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware women see injury, drug death spikes, but better care access