Statewide Iowa — Thirty-seven states license midwives and, if a bill that cleared the Iowa House becomes law, Iowa would join that group.
Bethany Gates of Vinton is a certified professional midwife, one of about a dozen working in Iowa.
The maternal mortality rate in Iowa has nearly doubled in the past 20 years and Gates says the time has come for Iowa to start licensing midwives.
A recent study found mothers and babies in states which have integrated midwives into the health care system had better outcomes compared to the states that have the most restrictions on midwives. Without a state license, Gates and other midwives cannot administer certain medications while assisting in a birth, and in most instances midwives cannot order an ultrasound or lab work for a client.
Representative Ras Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, says the bill responds to the need for access to health care.
Representative Bobby Kaufmann a Republican from Wilton, says the bill helps bring an established profession out of the shadows.
The bill passed with 93 yes votes and only two House members voted against it. The bill to license midwives now goes to the Senate for consideration. Iowa’s major medical groups have opposed similar legislation in the past.
