In our nation, babies are born into a system of well-child care—a series of planned health care visits designed to protect their health from day one through age six. But what about their mothers? No such system exists for them after the postpartum visit.

Our fragmented health care system offers no bridge across the chasm that separates maternity care and ongoing primary care. This chasm harms many mothers; for Black and Indigenous people, the gap in care too often means the difference between life and death. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is the highest among affluent nations, and Black and Indigenous mothers are 3.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than are white mothers. One-third of these deaths occur between one week and one year postpartum (in the chasm); and for every maternal death, there are at least 100 near misses. When complications, such as hypertension and diabetes, are not followed by primary care after pregnancy, chronic illness can develop.

We write as scientists, clinicians, and advocates to argue for an emergency plan to fill the gaping hole in women's health care.

Pregnancy care should be conceptualized not as a singular event or series of events, but as a key source of information for women's health care prevention and treatment needs across the life course. Creating a bridge to support such health care could also help to address the persistent disrespect and racism commonly experienced by Black mothers in health care settings.

Pregnancy is a stress test on women's bodies, revealing clues about underlying and future health. Complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preeclampsia, depression, and substance use disorder affect up to a quarter of pregnant people. These conditions play an important role in women's health in the year after birth and are harbingers of future chronic illness that can be prevented or ameliorated.

Read the full article about continuous care for mothers by Lois McCloskey, Ann Celi, Chloe E. Bird at RAND Corporation.