A state mandate requires all pregnant women in Illinois be screened for depression as part of their prenatal care. But new research study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign finds that those screenings may overlook a significant proportion of women who have suicidal thoughts. 

Some doctors see access to birth control as a tool in the fight to decrease maternal and infant mortality. Indiana has one of the nation’s worst rates of new mothers and infants dying, and those rates are even worse for black women. But a history of abuse has led to distrust of health care professionals in communities of color. 

A small but growing number of U.S. women are choosing to have their babies at home. In more than 30 states, including most of the Midwest, it’s legal for certified professional midwives – trained specifically in home birth – to assist them. Illinois is not among them; but the state Senate wants to study the issue.

Bringing home a new baby is tough, and a nonprofit organization in Champaign-Urbana wants to help. They’re seeking donations from local businesses to put together care "Baby Boxes" for new families.

The organization Sistering CU trains volunteers from the community to offer a helping hand to new parents, with an emphasis on "mothering the mother."