Hochul proposes new plan offering paid family leave during pregnancy

The Democratic Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, has proposed a provision for paid maternity leave during pregnancy. She voiced her conviction that expectant mothers should be catered to even before their babies are born, requiring time off work, during an event on Thursday. Hochul announced that New York would pioneer the provision of paid prenatal care leave in the US. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed an alarming increase in the US infant mortality rate last year – a first in two decades. According to the CDC, the infant mortality rate for the US grew by 3% from 2021 to 2022, after a consistent decline of 22% from 2002 to 2021. Maternal complications during pregnancy and bacterial sepsis in newborn babies, which were among the top 10 infant death causes, saw a significant rise last year. Congenital malformations were also a leading cause of infant deaths in 2022. The states of Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, and Texas reported considerable surges in infant mortality rates the previous year. The infant mortality rate remains high in the US compared to other developed countries. A report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ranked the US among the 10 highest of its 38 members, exceeding rates in Canada, Japan, and South Korea.