A deeper look at history explains why when it comes to midwife use, the US falls behind other affluent countries.

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Despite spending more per capita on health care than any other country, the U.S. has the highest rate of deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth in the industrialized world. But what makes maternal healthcare in other affluent countries look so different than the U.S.? Among other things, midwives. Midwives in the U.S. participate in less than 10 percent of births. But in Sweden, Denmark and France, they lead around three quarters of deliveries. In Great Britain, they deliver half of all babies, including all three of Kate Middleton’s. So if the midwifery model works for royal babies, why not our own? Check out the video above to find out how midwives have been at the center of a culture war that’s deeply rooted in race and class in America.

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