Maternity care access remains a challenge across the U.S. as labor and delivery closures, workforce shortages and financial pressures strain services. In 2026, 34.6% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts, according to an Aug. 11 March of Dimes report. Meanwhile, 19 maternity services have closed or announced plans to close this year.
Here are five things to know about the state of maternity care access in 2026:
- More than one-third of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts.
March of Dimes defines maternity care deserts as counties with no obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities. The 2026 report found 34.6% of U.S. counties fall into this category, similar to its 2024 findings. These counties are home to 2.4 million women of reproductive age, with 149,000 infants born there each year. An additional 3.4 million women and 209,000 infants live in counties with low or moderate access to maternity care.
- More than half of U.S. counties lack a hospital with labor and delivery services.
The lack of hospital-based labor and delivery services affects nearly 370,000 births annually. Women living in maternity care deserts travel about three times farther, on average, to access labor and delivery services than women in counties with full access. Recent labor and delivery closures increased travel times by an average of 25 minutes in affected communities.
- Delivery units closed across 35 states in a little more than two years.
The report identified at least 96 publicly reported labor and delivery unit closures from January 2024 to May 2026. In nearly 60% of affected counties, the unit that closed was the only local birthing facility.
- Workforce shortages remain a major pressure point.
Nearly 58% of rural counties lack obstetric clinicians, compared with about 19% of urban counties. Health system executives have also said that maintaining labor and delivery services requires reliable physician, nursing, anesthesia and emergency coverage. Hospitals and systems have cited staffing shortages alongside financial pressures, declining birth rates, reimbursement challenges and falling patient volumes when changing or ending maternity services.
- Some health systems are turning to regional models to preserve access.
MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta will transition labor and delivery services to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick under a regional model effective Dec. 18. Comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care will continue at Lincoln Hospital. The MaineHealth Board of Trustees also committed to not close any additional labor and delivery programs across the system for the next two years. More than two-thirds of pregnant patients in Lincoln County currently deliver at hospitals other than Lincoln Hospital, which has not been able to establish the stable physician and clinical staffing necessary to support a reliable 24-hour labor and delivery program over the long term.
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