babies

Breast milk is like medicine for low birth weight and at-risk babies, but not all infants have access. A human milk donation drop off site at Wyandotte County's health department is raising awareness and supporting babies in need across the Midwest.

Missouri has a 4.225% sales tax on period products and diapers, because they're considered luxury items in the state tax code. Meanwhile, other health care-related products are not taxed at all.

Many hospitals are shuttering their labor and delivery units because insurance companies and Medicaid aren't reimbursing hospitals enough to cover the cost of births.

Installed at Mehlville Fire Protection District Station 2 in south St. Louis County, the box is a secured incubator that new mothers in crisis can leave their newborns in if they are not able to care for the child.

Missouri has one of the nation's highest maternal mortality rates. And yet, it's not among the many states taking advantage of an offer from the federal government to pay for extended Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers.

Parents in Kansas City are having to get creative in order to deal with a nationwide shortage of baby formula. Although some manufacturers have resumed production, it could be a little while longer until stock is back to normal.

Although Abbott's Michigan plant has resumed production it will still be weeks before formula is back on store shelves.

Over 76% of stores in Kansas City are now out of stock of formula. To keep babies fed, friends and family members are sending cans of formula to others with babies, posting on community boards what they see at the grocery store, and donating excess breast milk.

The bill directs the Missouri Department of Corrections to establish a nursery within a women’s correctional facility by July 2025, and allow incarcerated women to stay with their newborns for their first 18 months.

The Correctional Center Nursery Program would allow women who give birth while incarcerated the chance to stay with their newborns in prison for up to 18 months. Nurseries for incarcerated mothers are shown to reduce recidivism and have long-term benefits for babies.

After fleeing Afghanistan, several hundred refugees have ended up in mid-Missouri. Community groups there came together to gather donations for new and expectant Afghan moms, and hosted a baby shower and health clinic to help them transition to life in America.

Music therapy can reduce stress in premature infants and help them recover from medical procedures. University of Missouri researchers are now studying whether music therapy also affects their long-term brain development.